Unfettered
by Wildeve of the Heath
Summary: "We lost our good names, our friends, our home, all because of their fears. Now we're unfettered by our burdens as soldiers, yet we no longer bear the Wings of Freedom." AU
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Inspired by Musashi's LeviHan doujin "Flap Your Wings" (remove the underscores):  
ht_t_p:/_/_heichousface_.tumblr._com_/post/_547775 _32989/_flap-your-wings-levihan

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"We lost our good names, our friends, our home, all because of their fears, We're unfettered by our burdens as soldiers now, yet we no longer bear the Wings of Freedom."

**A/N**: The doujinshi this is based off of had a great potential if the artist continued it, I really wanted to know more of what happened and why Rivaille was instructed to kill Hanji. I was disappointed when it was only cut short so I thought I could try and write it out here, along with bringing in a whole, new plot to follow it. I hope you all enjoy this. It'll be a heavy LeviHan later on as I will try not to rush this (it's more for plot, really). Hints of other shippings will be made.

Also, I will refer to the 3DMG as simply "Gear". This story will branch off of the end Chapter 20 (episode 15) after the murder of Bean and Sawney and also the tribunal for Eren. It occurs right before the Recon Corps is deployed outside the Karanese district. Story is set in the Karanese.

Warnings: This is considered an AU, multiple characters will be OOC (this will be my interpretation of how they are going to react to certain situations), later sexual situations, graphic situations, psychological torture

Leave a Review~! It keeps me going~!

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The fourth day of the fourth month of the year.

At 1600, Rivaille was called to Commander Erwin Smith's office after finishing up today's instructions for training the newest members.

Obedient and punctual, he was there on the dot not a second too late nor too early. His waist was slightly sore from taking a kick from a young Scout, while he may be strong and aware of his surroundings, he was still human and still flawed. A boot print from this his white shirt, irking him beyond belief but a summons was a summons, he would have to attend to that later.

The Commander's office was spacious like any other high-ranking authority yet he kept things simple by keeping a desk and chain situated over a red carpet on the stone floor. The carpet was lengthy and led from the double doors to the edge of the oak borders. Rivaille had been here many times, only for reports and assignments; grave matters would be done in person, outside of the office, when guards were not there to hear Erwin speak.

As he strode into the office, his Gear resting at his sides, he saw that Erwin was sitting there, hands folded and eyes narrowing as though he were contemplating on how to comprehend something. Rivaille stopped a few feet away and was about to address him but then Erwin cut in, keeping him from uttering anything.

"The information passed to me has lead to the suspicion that one of our own is a Titan-shifter, much like Eren. With the amount of knowledge she posses (unlike the boy), she is a danger to mankind and, should she give it to the wrong hands, our efforts will be for nothing; thus, she must be eliminated. I won't give you any more details about this task because there are none to give other than what I just told you."

Rivaille quietly stared at him, letting the words sink in. He grew slightly worried when Erwin's eyes suddenly flicked up to meet his gaze.

They were grim and hardened, as if they were naturally like that years before joining the military. He had only seen that look when they lose a close man, which was quite often in their line of work, but it was the solemn emotions within them that struck Rivaille in the most breaking way.

"This is an order," he began slowly, he took in a small breath of air to prepare himself. He then paused as though he had second thoughts about giving the order, but it was only brief, for he firmly continued,"Lance Corporal Rivaille-"

His full title was never spoken, not ever, not even by Erwin, unless he was called by the lower-ranking soldiers and citizens. Sure, Corporal was a name often spoken, Rivaille was used as well, but not in the same combination. His eyes widened at the sudden demand for attention but he regained composure. Unfortunately, his recollection was shattered by the following words, three words that he never imagined to be said.

"-kill Hanji Zoe."

He took a single step back as though the order were the foot of a titan slamming into the ground, sending thunder to the earth and causing all those around him to tremble. The guards that stood at either side of Erwin were just as surprised and shocked as Rivaille. This sort of mission - no, this sort of issue was meant to be spoken in privacy.

He tried to regain his bearings but instead, positioned himself to form the salute; he had to do something. His a fist over his heart, he obediently told him,"It will be done."

Erwin gave a curt nod. "You are dismissed."

-...-

Mike Zacharias had just emerged from the basement of their headquarters. He was asked by Hanji to deliver several documents to Erwin. As he had turned the corner, he ran into Rivaille who, strangely enough, had shoulders hunched tightly. When the shorter man stopped, Mike spoke with a slight smile to try and liven him up; he took notice of the footprint on his shirt. "Hanji stepped on you?"

"No, but I need to find her. I have to kill her."

That smile was still there but Rivaille saw it fading quickly. "Well, whatever she done, it shouldn't warrant her death. Then again, I'm talking to _you_-"

Rivaille cut in. "There's only a suspicion that she's a titan."

It wouldn't take an idiot to put two and two together. The sight of Rivaille's tense movements and stiff speech were alerting as much as they were startling. It's the sort of feeling you get when you want to be done with something as soon as possible. Mike wasn't going to let Rivaille go without having questions answered. He knew better than to reach out to his shoulder.

"I won't believe it," Mike stubbornly told him, papers swishing down in disbelief. Rivaille wasn't a man to speak many words but when he does, they are straight to the point, never dancing between lines of a subject.

Rivaille brushed by him, making his way to the hallway that lead to the basement where the labs were, where Mike had seen Hanji testing a new solution, something about blood; Petra was with her, assisting her.

As Rivaille took brisk strides across the room, Mike turned and shouted again,"I won't believe it! Hanji being suspected as a Titan? A charge of suspicion? An order of elimination?" But the man worth a hundred soldiers wouldn't listen as he continued to walk. "There's no proof! You're just going to let them throw her away like this?! Don't fuck with me, this is bullshit!"

The man halted a few yards away in the quiet hall.

Once he had gained his ear, Mike stepped closer, calmly telling him with earnest,"This situation is suspicious all on its own. You immediately took this as the truth. How long have you known her? Five years? Six?...why are you-"

"It's an order," Rivaille replied simply but his voice was laced in darkness. "It was the military's decision. I have to kill Hanji."

He was aware that both Hanji and Rivaille were close, he even aware that they possibly may have feelings for one another that goes deeper than mutual. To a degree of how far their bond goes, Mike knew not but, in their lives, they knew that there should never be an attachment formed too deeply. It was not his part to know about their relations yet they were all comrades, brothers and sisters in arms as he saw them all; surely Rivaille would have a consciousness to not follow this order through.

There was something between the two that he, and many others, took notice but they respected them enough to not ask of them what it was.

Mike was a faithful soldier through and through and, being in the Recon Corps, he knew that sacrifices were necessary for all of mankind. If he, himself, were placed in Rivaille's position, he truly couldn't bring himself to do this. The whole situation was completely and utterly wrong, there had to be more explanations to this vague order. His mind raced as he held the papers tighter in his hand. Before Rivaille took another step, Mike blurted out,"She's not in her lab."

Rivaille glared over his shoulder.

It was a lie. Rivaille was given the order to kill, no one else. Interference would be nothing as Mike had nothing personal to do about the order itself. There were times when the trust and life of a comrade are held above authority; only in battle did this happen, only now will it ever happen. Mike gathered his wits and relayed false information,"She got injured from shattered glass, had to get stitches at the hospital wing."

Whether Rivaille appreciated or resented the advise, he gave a nod and turned the other way. Mike knew Rivaille _trusted_ him well enough to follow his words.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

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Hanji determinedly leaned over the table, her fingers held a vial that contained a few drops of Eren's blood, a sample she collected an hour ago. Petra Ral, her assistant for the day, stood close by, watching for the reaction between Eren's blood and the chemicals that Hanji had recently prepared.

It was a common sight to see Hanji so wrapped up in her work within this environment, as though she were locking out the world around her to focus exclusively on her experiments. Today consisted of testing the reaction of chemicals with the crimson liquid harvested from Eren. Hanji had concluded earlier that blood both in human and Titan forms would be the same as bodies would simply expand its supply to accommodate the need of it.

She held the vial over the heated beaker.

"I'm sure there would be something," Hanji murmured more to herself rather than Petra.

Petra threw a quick glance at the notes she made. So far, no reactions came from the blood samples. The blond wasn't the type to stay in the labs (she was more of a scholarly type rather than experimental) and thus, didn't understand what Hanji was doing; every other morning, the eccentric scientist would grab an assistant from the mess hall to help her take notes when needed.

Often, people would flee but Petra was the unfortunate soul who couldn't get away this time. This wasn't her ideal way to spend the day off, she wanted to go to the library and simply read old works from ages passed. She would rather not be in the labs when Hanji manages to blow something up. It had been eight hours and the strain from watching Hanji and the uneventful test have begun to take its toll.

The woman wasn't talkative much either when she's working unless she rambling or lecturing about Titans, thus leaving Petra to be bored out of her mind - she was one of the many who didn't want to listen to Hanji's rave of the enemies. She was thankful Mike had dropped by an hour ago so that they could hold a quick conversation. Unfortunately, it was cut short when Hanji handed several documents to Mike.

"Can you get those to Erwin? I need Petra to stay with me while I'm working, I think I have it this time," Hanji said distantly with a pile of papers in one hand and a beaker of chemicals in the other.

Mike took them and glanced at the contents of the papers. He knew better than to ask Hanji what they were, he wasn't going to stick around for her to speak endlessly. Petra gave him a desperate look, murmuring,"I've been here all day!"

"Next time, run faster," Mike jokingly told her, trying to hold down a laugh.

It had been an hour since the door closed.

Hanji was just about to pour the few drops of blood until the door flew open, thundering against the stone wall and causing Hanji to drop her sample; the glass shattered to the floor. Petra gasped while Hanji yelped, the brunette didn't appreciate being interrupted in the midst of her work. Out of instinct, she shouted,"How many fucking times did I tell you people to knock? I could have blown us all up-"

The intruder of Hanji's personal space was Mike. With a hand still clenching the documents, he tossed them to the nearest table.

"Hey, I told you to send those to Erwin!"

Everyone knew better than to startle Hanji, her reactions were much more fiercer than her chemicals. Both sleeves were rolled up, her right hand was clenched, ready to come after him; Petra had noticed that she acted like a child being taken away too early from play time, she couldn't blame her, Hanji had done the same thing today.

The brunette threw a punch but Mike's hand went to catch it before it even got a foot close to him.

"You need to leave, where's your Gear?" Mike asked urgently, his voice was laced in worry. Petra placed the notes down as Hanji lowered her fist.

"It's in the back, I forgot to return it so the gas is nearly out. Blades are full though-"

"You got extra tanks?"

Petra approached them. Hanji's expression softened as she asked quietly,"What's with the questions?"

"It's better to just listen to him," Petra told her, Mike's eyes were telling her something was up. It was something that Hanji would rather be better with not knowing. However, the woman was a scientist, it was second nature for her to not be left in the dark, to always ask why things are the way they are.

"I'll explain after you get your Gear on. Now, about the gas tanks."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered,"I think there's a fresh supply in the stables-"

Mike cut her off. "Good, Petra, I want you to go first and ready Hanji's horse from the stables while she's getting her Gear on, also, have the tanks ready for her to load."

Petra nodded without question, knowing better than to stick around. She had spent her life following orders, there would be no use in stopping; Mike's tone was enough to convince her something had gone severely wrong. Unlike Petra, Hanji was a bit stubborn, she followed orders without a second thought but, when it sounded odd to her, she would take a brief moment to pause - it would be quick, not a minute long.

Her attribute as a scientist made her observe Mike's expression and posture. A quick evaluation told her that now was not the time to question any further. She nodded in understanding and rushed to the back of the room where her Gear and cloak were stored.

It took her a couple minutes to get the gas tanks and sheathes on her body. Once they were strapped on properly, she headed for the door where Mike stood out of the way for her.

"What's going on?" She finally asked as Mike lead her to the ground floor; she had just thrown on her Recon jacket.

"You need to run, get as far away as you can," he told her as they kept a brisk pace across the grand courtyard. She kept up with him at his side.

Hanji urged him. "You're not answering me! There can't be Titans attacking, no one is being called up for this. Does this have to do with Eren? Is he on a rampage? Sure it's Rivaille's job to take care of him but I guess it's better for me to go as well, you're quite considerate of my interests..."

Her rambling went on, she knew she had the power to annoy others with her quick wit. Perhaps she could annoy the answer out of him. Mike, still not responding to any of them, had lead her to the stables. There, Petra had already saddled and bridled Hanji's sorrel and was leading it to the open gate that lead to the outside arena and track where horses are trained with soldiers.

Their main headquarters was relocated into the Karanese District after the blocking of the Trost Disctrict a month ago. They were a bit at the most eastern part where the arenas for horses had already been situated.

When the pair neared the blond, Hanji grew quiet as she spotted the gas tanks, she immediately unloaded hers.

Mike stood by Petra, the young woman whispered,"What's happening?"

"Just wait," he replied as he took the horse's reins from her.

Hanji listened intently for an explanation but she received none. Instead, she was given more instructions. "There's a tavern thirty-seven kilometers West of here. It's the Flora, the one tavern I told you about, the one near the Church of Rose but a bit off to the side-"

"I know the Karanese, I spent most of my time here," she told him, though she was bitter in saying that she knew of her familiar home. She had been to places and knew the area well enough. Hell, she's the one who told him about the Flora. She got on her horse and looked down at him, she had picked up that something was amiss as he handed her a coin purse; she instantly tied it off to her belt. "Now, what the hell is going on here?"

Mike threw a glance at the back where the entrance to the stables were, it was empty. Once confirming he had enough time, he quickly told her,"Rivaille is going to kill you. A military order. I'll let you in on the details but you need to get out of here, **now**, before he figures out you are here. Head to the Flora and wait there until night time. I'll get there tonight and figure out what to do next, I need to figure this out for you."

"Mike, are you-"

Before Hanji could speak another word, Mike clucked his tongue, a cue for her horse to begin to prance anxiously. Hanji tried to tighten her grip on the reins but then a slap on the flank startled the sorrel, causing it to bolt out of the stables. For a brief moment, Hanji's tense expression changed to that of being confused and shocked, as tough she needed it to be repeated.

There was no room for it to be heard, her horse's strides picked up as she tried to bring it under control.

"Why didn't you tell her, in the lab?" Petra asked as the sorrel kicked up dirt. Mike stood by her side, watching as Hanji disappeared into the streets a few ways away.

"If I did, she would have suspected you and I of betraying her, it'll shake her trust in us. Should she have known down there, she would have sought out Rivaille herself and be killed as a result. The time I just bought her ought to be enough for her to think of what to do and, hopefully, be enough for Rivaille to mull over what he ought to do as well. Whether or not she decides to trust me and go to the tavern to meet me is her choice now that she knows."

He began to walk away, Petra followed closely as he continued. "For the meantime, I have to sort this out myself to figure out why this is happening. Now that you know, I can ask you something as well; will you stand by and watch a comrade be murdered under false accusation or will you aid me in helping her?"

They paused at the entrance way. Petra's brow furrowed at the decision as she slowly asked,"Well...are you actually in on this?"

"On what?"

"Killing Hanji."

Saying those two words pierced both of them.

Mike scratched the back of his head and let out a defeated sigh. "No, not at all. I'm trying to help her. Should this have been someone else, I would have helped Rivaille from the start. The order was for Rivaille only, not me."

"Then why help her? Surely there must be a reason why she-"

"There isn't, that's the most fucked up part. Without evidence, they suspect Hanji of being a Titan-shifter like Eren, I find it hard to believe myself, honestly...who can put up years of acting and researching Titans while being a Titan herself? It's...useless, she could have wiped us out by now, there were plenty of chances," Mike added, his hand went to wipe his face. "Well, are you going to help her or are you going to leave her to Rivaille?"

"I..." Her eyes drifted as she began to be lost in her thoughts of the options.

Hanji could truly be a Titan-shifter but the accusation was made an a basis that barely existed. If Hanji could be slated to be wiped out, everyone else would be susceptible for such claims, even Rivaille himself. Pointing fingers about such a power is quite an act that can catch on rather quickly. She reached a resolution and definitely said,"She should trust us...I'm willing to help. As long as she could be pinned down, it'd be a matter of time if the military decides to take our hides as well."

Mike clapped a hand on her shoulder, a slight smile on his face. "Good. We'll both gather information and return here by tonight to rendezvous with Hanji at the Flora. We'll move her to a better location afterwards."

Petra nodded in response and they both turned, only to find Rivaille approaching them from the other side of the courtyard.

"Oh...Corporal, you're here," Petra said nervously as he drew close within a matter of seconds.

"Yes, my time was wasted in going to the hospital wing and finding that no one other than myself had gone there all day," he said sharply, eyes flickering at Mike. "I understand your concern but an order is an order, I have to follow it through. For all you know, you could have helped a traitor."

He pushed passed them for the stables. He went to fetch his horse, as he done so, both Petra and Mike followed suit.

"You can't be serious about this, Corporal," Petra entreated, shoulders falling as the blanket and saddle were hoisted on to the black steed.

"This is neither of your concerns, be considerate that I hadn't branded you as traitors and hadn't gotten the some men to come after you," he said bitterly, tightening the cinch with the last word. The bridle was fitted properly to the black horse and then he mounted quickly. His piercing glare made them cringe just slightly. "I'll ask one more time, Mike, where the fuck did that Four-eyed shit go?"

Mike looked away, this time knowing that if he said anything, Rivaille would still trust him.

"I know not, I only deceived you so that we may prepare her a horse to leave. Her choice of destination is her own, so I have no location to give."

It was the truth. He didn't know if Hanji would go to the Flora or hide elsewhere, she could have chosen to return.

"...a decent answer," Rivaille surprisingly told them. He kicked at his horse's sides and sped off into the distance.

Mike let out a sigh,"C'mon...let's go. We're short on time to learn about this."


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

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She learned forth in her saddle, hips rolling in time to the rocking motions of her horse.

A few seconds out into the vast, clear space gave her enough time to collect her bearings and reins. Once getting a grip on the physical problem, she brought her horse's erratic movements into a slower pace, causing the legs to take smoother, slower strides yet not breaking the momentum. Throwing a glance back at headquarters, she tried to process Mike's words.

_"Rivaille is going to kill you..."_

She threw her trust into Mike, knowing that he was reliable, but the thought of Rivaille even being told to do such a thing was beyond her comprehension. The urgency in Mike's face, the fact that he and Petra supplied her with gas tanks, and the need to flee on horseback; this wasn't an elaborate prank. Mike wouldn't waste time like this, even she found it to be distasteful.

Rivaille wouldn't be the type to play at all. He would do whatever Erwin told him but, when it would come to Eren, his own judgement would take control; other than that particular exception, Rivaille would follow orders down to the last dot.

Her mind wrapped itself so easily in the confusion. Executions were carried out for traitors, Hanji knew she wasn't a traitor of any kind. Sure, she would openly admit for her enthusiasm for researching Titans, she perfectly knew it was out of the ordinary and that it completely voids all traditional viewpoints soldiers have. However, because of her insight, much more discoveries were made.

"..._military order..."_

All of these discovers benefited mankind and, to some small degree, lowered the casualties by just two percent. Her tactical skills, her knowledge, her experience, she was worth as much as Rivaille despite not being as strong as him; there was a large gap between them but she knew she was a valued individual. She wouldn't have been made Squad Leader if she showed less of what she does.

"They can't throw me away like this," she exhaled as she entered the main street. It was large enough for her to race through. The clattering sound of horseshoes hitting the pavement was a warning for all to move out of the way.

It simply didn't add up to her.

She had no idea why they would prosecute her. Her mind was telling to her to seek out Rivaille but instincts told her to run, to hide, to wait for Mike and maybe Petra.

She trusted Rivaille all her life, ever since that day her offered her solace when he gave her a hand in her time of need. Her mind shook the thought out of her, why was she remembering that sort of thing now, of all times? Kicking at her horse's sides, she lowered one hand and placed pressure on the bit so that her horse swerved right at a corner.

"..._get out of here, **now**..."_

There were shortcuts throughout the city, she was aware of them. She was coming up on a canal, it was short but deep; if Rivaille were truly after she, she would have to throw him off her tracks. With the amount of ruckus she caused going down the main road, he would follow if he ever caught on. Perhaps if they come into contact, she would hold him off.

_That's why Mike gave me gas tanks...he gave me a fighting chance._

Knowing Rivaille, she would never stand up long enough against him but she needed to know. She needed to know why Rivaille, if all people, would be the one to kill her. She was deadly with her blade, a bit reckless, but she knew how to hold off on her own. Thoughts traced to Mike perhaps expediting her execution, he could be leading her to a trap at the Flora.

Soldiers may be waiting there to apprehend Hanji in case Rivaille failed to finish the job.

She prepared for her horse to leap over the waterway. She was closing in, fast, and so she pressed her chest against the mane, propping herself into a good position. Her heart flew as her sorrel did as well, spending a few seconds in the air before clamoring on the other side. without missing a step, she raced on, heading West once again.

"What did I do wrong?" She asked aloud, still hunched in her seat. She glanced up as one hand reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out her goggles and quickly replaced her glasses, stowing the delicate lenses away into her pocket. Normally she'd leave it behind but she hadn't been given a chance to change into anything; she was lucky her goggles were on her jacket at the time.

Gathering the reins again, she sped faster. Taking to the rooftops would make her noticeable, she reasoned she'll only use her Gear when she comes into conflict. She glanced all around, making sure that he wouldn't drop in from above.

He was crafty when it came to hunting prey.

She galloped down the side street, then merged into the main road to hopefully catch the next side street. She wanted to avoid any usual routes Rivaille knew about.

Family was not an option. She didn't know who they were, much less even if she had any at all. Years of her life were dedicated to the military, it was all she knew; she had given up that search for family long ago. As she dashed through an alley, she saw children in rags trying to catch sight of her; the mere image of them stalled her mind for a moment.

Back then, she only knew the comfort of the streets.

-...-

Rivaille followed the commotion the rose from the streets. Some of the townspeople, noticing his rush, pointed in the direction where another rider was going helter-skelter on her horse. He went on, taking the hints eagerly and kicking sharply at the barrel. He slightly stood in the stirrups when running in a line but then took a deep seat when he turned corners.

Knowing her, she may be taking the side roads and then weaving in and out of the main street in an attempt to avoid him. He had seen Hanji's distinct patten of riding before, out in the wilderness, it shouldn't be to hard to predict her. After going through a side street where people have thinned out and few gave hints, he took the the main road, bringing his horse into a canter.

Just as he had thought, Hanji appeared from the left side with her head looking over her shoulder as though she were distracted. With feverish haste, he kicked at his horse, breaking it into a gallop.

At the sound of the gallop, Hanji's head turned; a look of shock was splayed on her face. She had only left the stables a few minutes ago, it wasn't difficult to catch up to her. Hanji leaned in her saddle, he saw her pick up speed, prompting him to do so as well. Within a matter of seconds, due to his lighter weight, his horse was able to catch up to hers by its right flank.

She made a sharp turn to the left, going towards the large canal where the cable-boats were, she began to follow the edge. He lost ground when he did that but his steed quickly caught on. Soon, they were at neck to neck.

They didn't look at one another for a moment, it was like a silent race. They were both determined to speak yet one had an obligation to kill the other. It went on for half a mile before Hanji shouted after the hooves,"Well, are you going to do it or are we just going to race!?"

Upon hearing her, his response was to bring out the handle for one sword. She gave a nod, understanding that he had the intent on killing her.

Wrapping the reins on the horn of her saddle, she thrust her legs back and behind the cantle. She squatted over as her horse continued to run. Rivaille glared at her, she was warned by Mike yet she portrayed it as a game. He brought his handle to a blade and unsheathed one.

He tried to lash out at her and missed as she had drawn out her own handles and fired hooks to a tower that they were coming up at. She hopped off the rump of her horse and swung into momentum. Rivaille quickly caught on and fired his own hooks, spending what he had left of his gas. Surely she had more than him, he had to do this quickly.

As he flew off of his own horse and pursued her, he felt a wave of reluctance wash over him.

The moment he became airborne, second thoughts (ones that never came to him) had taken a hold of his mind.

Mike was right. There was no evidence to prove she could shift into being a Titan, there was no proof except for the fact that she was running from him. He couldn't blame her, it's understandable to flee when you're given a warning of a terrible fate. At least she would go down in a fight rather than the usual cloak and dagger method that he so often used.

Hanji wasn't the first or last person he had to execute. There had been moments when sacrifice was needed and he obliged without fail.

To him...killing her was unnecessary.

To him, in his heart, he didn't want to kill her but at the same time, he'd rather have it be him than anyone or any Titan do so.

_Wait, is this a sign of possession?_

As he sprinted over the rooftops, he took note that he was only at a half supply of gas left. Hanji was probably given more for supply, she was at the advantage. It would explain why she kept her distance rather than engage him in a fight. She was aware that he had gone out for training and, with the rush to catch her, somehow neglected to refill his supply.

It would only be a matter of minutes before he would run low. Clearly she wasn't stupid, she never was, she was sharp and calculating.

"Hanji!" He shouted.

She glanced over her shoulder for a brief moment but continued to run, shooting her hooks again to cross over the main road. He followed close enough to catch the whiff of the steam coming from her fan. She hadn't drawn her blades yet, clearly a sign of confidence in which she would drag him into a chase.

"You can't run from me!"

It was a useless bluff.

Hanji didn't answer back, she kept her sight straight ahead as she whirled around a tower, her Gear taking in more gas. Rivaille noticed the large amount of consumption it took for her but he did the same thing anyway. When they had rotated around the tower, he felt both tanks to be significantly lighter.

_Shit..._

Gripping the handles taut, he tore after her, this time, he could have touched her Gear sheathes if he wanted to.

Within a split second, she dove into an empty alley and began to run down on the street on foot. Lips twitching in annoyance, he shot his hooks at an overpass and swung down, quickly coming at her heel with his blades still out and ready. Her long legs kicked the ground, carrying her as fast as she could. He sprinted closely, his took a swift swing.

He barely missed by a hair as she suddenly shot her hooks at the end of the alley where a great wall stood over them.

Rivaille tried to send out his hooks once again but, to his annoyance, his gas was empty.

Hanji, as she had planned so deviously, heard the empty clicks coming from Rivaille. She stopped midway and then perched herself against the wall with one hook holding to the roof while the other retracted.

"Well, guess you can't run after me with two empty tanks," Hanji told him from above. She was only ten meters up. She gave a smile to him, much to his confusion. At least she wanted to hear him say his piece. There would be no way in hell that she would pick a fight with him, she knew she could be outmatched by mankind's strongest soldier.

Propping a wrist over his hip, she clucked her tongue.

"Y'know, I was doing an experiment on Eren's blood. I thought I reached a breakthrough until Mike came in, told me you were trying to_ kill me_. Can you believe that? I don't see why, I mean, I don't have the time to be a traitor!" She chuckled. "C'mon..."

She extended her cable so that she could walk vertically down the wall. Rivaille stepped closer and she stopped just five meters over him. Her smile faded away, it was replaced with a frown; those usually bright eyes, so full of life and wonder, had dulled with worry and a foreign look of fear.

"...is this true?"

Her voice was soft, he returned it with his own gentle response.

"Yes, it is."

Rivaille lowered his blades to look less threatening. At least he had to let her come close enough. The sign of him relaxing was a silent permission for her to draw close, going so far as to be at ground level. She retracted her hook.

"Why?" She asked, voice cracked. Tears hadn't shown yet.

"You're under the suspicion that you're a Titan-sifter," he answered with a hollow, definite tone. He gripped the blades tighter and then brought them up, forcing her to hurl herself to the side. She caught herself by her knees and one hand while the other whipped into her side to load a blade to her handle. As she knelt before him, he quickly advanced on her, stating the usual words meant for a traitor,"Squad Leader Hanji Zoe, by the decree of the military, you are hereby to be executed under the suspicion of concealing your identity as a Titan-shifter, thus-"

"_**Suspicion**_!?" She shouted as he swung his blade down at her.

She blocked it and launched herself further away, he continued on,"Thus you are an enemy to mankind."

"I dedicate myself to our cause day and night!" Hanji threw at him in rage. Rather than put up the offensive, she defended herself as she got to her feet. She backed away as he came close, his swords striking powerfully at hers. "You can't just do this!"

As long as she continued to keep clear, Rivaille wouldn't be able to have a clean cut to finish her. An order was an order, he wasn't going to go soft on her despite the reluctance that embodied itself and grew within his hands. The feelings of this being wrong, he had to channel it elsewhere. In a flurry, he steps grew fast, as did his swings.

Hanji was barely able to keep up. At one point, he managed to shatter both her blades simultaneously.

"Rivaille!" She protested as she shook to load a new pair for defense. She had her gas tanks and sheathe full but he wasn't going to let her have the advantage to utilize either of them.

His movements, quick and unpredictable, forced her to grew slightly weary; he could see her movements slacking little by little. His right blade came at her from the side, she couldn't block it on time but it grazed her cheek before hitting the blade in her other hand.

She pleaded with a dry voice,"Stop!"

Her feet paused for a split second. He took the chance to deliver a lower cut from below, her arm crossed over to block that as well. With both hands occupied, she was locked in place.

Unlike her, he was able to untangle his blades, causing her own to split apart and manage to snap under pressure.

Without the protection of her blades, she let out a deafening shriek of his name,**"RIVAILLE!"**

But he pressed on, squatting briefly to give a low sweep of his leg to bring her down to her back. Once she had been brought to the floor, he lunged after her, eyes wide and set to kill.

**"STOP!"** She cried out as he straddled her. Her eyes were full of terror, now at the verge of tears from the pain of betrayal and utter confusion. Rivaille pushed away the expression but his own heart tore at the sight her defenseless and at the brink of losing her mind. He didn't want to kill her and yet here he was, raising, not one, but both of his blades clapped together.

He paused to look at her face.

Upon locking gazes with her, he thrust both his swords downwards.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: I didn't want the plot of this story to fully ensue until after episode 14 was released so that non-manga readers would understand. This story does branch off after Eren's trial, it'll be AU from here on out so spoilers from the actual manga will be made here.

UPDATE: I have decided to rewrite the plot!

* * *

_She was left running for her life. Things would be different with the man she befriended._

_Hanji stumbled to the ground, she scrambled to her feet. The rain was heavy that night yet she wore only her dress; she was soaked to the bone. It was like the streets had been empty, leaving her exposed to the elements and the danger she was sprinting from.  
_

_The poor girl had no where else to turn to, no one to look for. Sure, he was vulgar from time to time but she knew she could trust him; he was her only customer that spent time outside of work to speak with her. Her throat burned from running for so long, she wanted to fall to her knees until she heard the sound of horses running and men shouting from the street she had tore down._

_"I need to keep moving," she wheezed to herself. Eventually she made it. Her legs ached and her body shivered.  
_

_The red door._

_It was the entrance to a grand home in the noble district of the Karanese; she had been here a couple times to deliver the man's orders.  
_

_Her hand knocked on the door once. Twice. _

_Horses cried from not too far. Her urgency grew tenfold._

_"**Mr. Rivaille!**" Hanji automatically shrieked as she pounded on the door until it opened to reveal him. That cold glare hazing over her was warmer than any fire she could ever be dreaming of right now. His name slipped from her mouth once again, but only in a breathless gasp,"Mr. Rivaille!"_

-...-

He was panting with his body looming over her.

Hanji stared at him, mouth open just the slightest with eyes wide as saucers. His words from _that time_ echoed through her.

_'I will never let you die.'_

A mere inch away from her throat were the pair of blades that had been embedded into the masonry of the ground.

Rivaille was truly the strongest of all, he could have ended her right then and there but he purposely avoided her. She could see that he clearly had not intent to kill her, not ever; he couldn't bring himself to do it at all. At that moment, it shook her when she leaned that mankind's most powerful fighter had one weakness, it was her.

"Hanji," he quietly rasped out, his expression had changed drastically when he uttered her name. His eyes were full of conflict and uncertainty, even his voice was hesitant when choosing words. "Run away..."

_'I am never letting anyone touch you.'_

She wanted to reach to him and comfort him, she never imagined that he could suddenly become distraught from a single order. He wasn't showing it much but the shaking in his arms and the look in his eyes was enough to tell her that he couldn't accept failing a mission, especially one that he could barely handle. So she remained in place, unmoving, no words came from her lips.

_'As long as you trust me, you'll live.'_

"I...can't kill you," he whispered,"I'm sorry..."

That was what she needed to hear. She propped herself on her elbows and scooted back to get out of his hold. When her knees were beneath him, he pressed the latches on both handles to release the blades, leaving them embedded into the bricks side by side. Backing away further, she brought one leg under her and then brought herself up to her feet to stand over him.

Rivaille was not moving from where he knelt but he still held the handles to his Gear. He briskly told her with a soft voice,"I've run out of gas, so you can escape while you still can."

Hanji's eyes had softened. Adrenaline still coursed through her, surely it did for him as well; their hearts were pounding from the initial fear that both encountered, not from the swordplay.

He gave the impression that he could care less of her but she knew him long enough to know that he, in fact, cared for her deeply. He simply had a different way of showing it. At least, this was what she convinced herself over the years. Perhaps he didn't see her the way she pictures him to, he was always distant with her, ever since they met.

They never got to have love bloom between them. They were both aware of that when they joined the Recon Corps. Instead, as long as they had the company of the other, knowing that they were alive, it was good enough for both of them. However, there was always that fear that haunted them when they realized they could no longer control a situation.

It was a fear that both had addressed years ago, back when they were fresh from training and had become full-fledged Scouts. It was after their first mission that the pair from their squad were the only ones who survived to regroup with the others and return to Wall Maria. The day had been trifling and their profound hatred was made towards the giants that had ended the lives of many comrades, not towards those who had pushed them this far in life.

They were on the brink of death when their own Squad Leader was consumed. Hanji lost a grip on her horse took a fall, Rivaille was swift enough to catch her just before a 4 Meter class snatched her. While they escaped unscathed, it left them to rethink of their choice to join the military. After a night of mourning, it was Hanji who decided to continue the fight once more with Rivaille backing her up.

Time after time he was always there to save her but, as they rose through the ranks, their dependency lessened on one another yet their bond began to thin. Little by little, Hanji began to fight on her own, her mind shifted into the person she had become today, but now, for the first time since she was a child, she felt weak.

_I can't do this again._ She thought to herself._  
_

Her mind snapped back to him.

"Just go," Rivaille firmly said this time when she hadn't moved. Instead, she got her down to her knees and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into an embrace. It was sudden but she knew it was what he needed. He stiffened when she did this but after a few, heart pounding moments, his hands went up to hold her as well. They stayed like that, locked in the other's arms, knowing that this whole situation was wrong.

He knew her. She knew him.

He trusted her. She trusted him.

_'You need to fight.'_

"Not without you on my side," she finally said as she buried her face into his hair to breathe in that musk he always had.

It was like_ that time_ all over again. It was coming back to her and, knowing him, he may have been thinking the same thoughts. She depended on him, even in days before the military. Now, when she felt the world was against her, she was calling upon his help just as she did before.

At least he was someone she could count on. Things are different with Rivaille. She wasn't alone.

Resolving that she still could rely on him, she stood up and offered a hand to him. Rivaille looked up at her, he was uncertain about something but he closed his eyes to mentally push it away. His hand reached out and took it, she pulled him up and gave a light smile.

"How can you be fucking happy?" He roughly asked, giving her the usual, unpleasant look. "I tried to_ kill_ you."

Despite the matter being grave, they had to speak to one another on normal terms.

"But you didn't." She grinned. "I'm alive so that's something to be happy about."

However...she couldn't uphold her expression like she normally would. Her smile faded away as she brought her fingers to her lips and blew, letting a long, distinct whistle to resound through the alleyway. As she waited for their horses to arrive, she heavily said,"I could never win in a fight with you...and I knew you wouldn't be able to kill me. That's why I didn't run too far too soon, I had to hear your piece after what Mike had said, it's hard to believe on my part."

"You place a lot of trust on me to do that," he scoffed, he turned away and whistled for his horse as well to reiterate the call. There was a tint of relief in his voice.

"Of course I do...despite what just happened now, I still do."

He gave no comment as the familiar clopping of a steed came galumphing towards them. Her sorrel, slick with sweat from running for too long, nickered as she gave a pat on the shoulder. Rivaille's horse arrived moments after she had mounted hers, his own horse was drenched as well. He swung himself into the saddle.

"Were you given a deadline to kill me?" She asked as her horse lazily snorted. He shook his head. "Well, since you can't do the job, I guess you're going to run with me."

"And live as a fugitive?"

She nearly laughed. "Sounds romantic. Unfortunately, no. Without a deadline, Erwin can assume that you're busy trying to catch me-"

"Or I'm busy helping you escape, which is what I'm doing now. The man knows how quick I stamp out traitors, if I don't return by nightfall, he'll send in reinforcements. Even if I come back late, he'll still send out men to go after you. Regardless, I won't be able to do anything about this unless you turn yourself in."

Hanji's brows creased. "I thought you didn't want to kill me."

Rivaille turned his horse in a quick circle, then he began to walk. She followed as well, riding by his side. He began to explain,"Suppose that you are, indeed, a Titan-shifter and have decided to give information about a conspiracy that you know about-"

"You know I'm not a traitor, I'm as human as you are...at least most of what you are," she added under her breath as they merged into the main street. The people of the Karanese had relaxed and milled about their business as though their chase from earlier never happened. They paused their horses to let a herd of sheep pass by. "Unless you have a plan...I'm not getting myself clapped in irons."

The thought of chains on her wrist made her shiver.

Once the animals had cleared the road, they continued on, heading for the headquarters. An idea suddenly hit her. Scheming was one of her fortes, she was crafty when needed to solve a problem. Her impromptu plan was feeble but it was worth a try.

She grabbed her goggles and snapped the straps off. "Here, catch."

He caught the goggles as she reached into her coat pocket and took out her glasses; she placed them on to see. "What're you doing?"

"Faking my death," she concluded,"seems better than getting turned in."

She smiled as he raised an eyebrow.

He glared at her. "This plan will only work if he oversees it. If he senses or knows of this being wrong, I can find myself in irons for blatantly lying to him. He's no idiot, you know that. Besides, just glasses?"

A hand went to her chin and she contemplated on how to make it more convincing. Her thoughts coincided with the livestock that had just passed by. "Bloody your blades in the butcher's shop but say you lost my body in the canal. Oh! Since the blades are stained in blood and I'm not running around as a Titan, it'll be proof enough that I'm not a Titan-shifter. Good plan huh?"

"It shockingly makes sense, coming from you," he replied,"but that's just solely relying on trickery."

She nodded and informed him,"I'm going to head to the Flora, it's a tavern near the Church of Rose. Mike said he'll meet me there by nightfall with information on what's happening."

She forced her horse to turn around, Rivaille quickly turned his head to the side to watch her.

"Good luck," she told him over her shoulder.

He didn't reply.

Hanji trusted him but the risk of facing the jaws of a lion upon her return had made her rethink Rivaille's own plan. With her unexplainable death warrant so sudden and so random, she reasoned that the military would be pulling more unforeseen stunts that could truly result in her death. Her trust within the system had been shaken, she only looked to Rivaille now, and Mike, possibly Petra as well.

_Those other two..._

At first she never had resources to utilize, now was the chance to use them. If anything went awry, she could run once more, she still had a copious amount of gas to use when needed.

Mike supplied her. He gave her a fighting chance to stand up to Rivaille. He warned her. There was reason to rely on him, Petra could have been sucked into this as well considering she was one of the last to see her off.

She had her horse walk away. Rivaille wouldn't be able to run after her; his horse was exhausted and his supply of gas was gone, he couldn't give another chase. Hopefully he saw no need to chase her now that they reached a resolution. After taking a few steps, she brought her horse to a complete halt as she looked over her shoulder to check if had decided to follow her. Instead, she saw him still standing atop his horse, he was watching her.

Rivaille gave her a reassuring nod. He was letting her go.

-...-

The sun had disappeared behind Wall Rose by the time he reached the large field of the arena. It left an orange tint to everything, adding a sense of laziness to fall before the few troops that were changing shifts. As he rode by, they gave a brief salute and returned to their work or conversation, in turn he gave no response. Somewhere along the way, he heard whispers; the guards from Erwin's office may have begun to spread word.

They could have been malicious hisses. They could have been exchanges of worry. They left him conscious about what had just happened.

He found his own plan flawless. He failed to see her logic but his instinct was telling him to follow in whatever she had planned. If she had gone quietly with him, she could have been interrogated, she could have been given a chance, and she could have been averted from execution. Instead, she chose her own path. He would have to rely on her quick wit.

Didn't she say she trusted him? Didn't she say she wouldn't leave without him? Why was he expecting her to rely on him like she in the past?

_She fucking expects me to hoodwink Erwin...she's becoming paranoid. A last ditch effort to save her hide...I can't blame her._

He passed by the butcher's place. The old man was out for the hour so it would spare him the trouble of having to sneak around him. Making sure he was out of sight of anyone, he dismounted and left his horse tied near the door so that he could enter. His eyes scanned the messy and bloody workspace, it was such an eye-sore but he had to pull through. He brought out a blade and then brought it to an animal that had recently been killed.

A goat_._

Blood was still fresh and flowing, it was dead; the butcher may have been called off midway of skinning it, leaving it unattended. He took his sword and dug it into the flesh, staining it halfway and then retracting it. His lips twitched at the idea of staining something so pristine. He sheathed his blade when the deed was done and left, part of him hoping that Hanji's plan would suffice. He untied his horse and then continued on.

Torches were lit along the side of the walls of the stable when he returned to headquarters. He dismounted and left a stableman to take his horse for care.

Rivaille walked across the courtyard, quickly reaching the double doors that lead to the main building. Once inside, he was met with Erwin standing at the grand hall. Unlike earlier, he was alone. Rivaille felt a tinge of distrust in the Commander as he walked to him.

"Did you do it?" Erwin asked, he had that look again. Rivaille glared at him.

"Yes," he bitterly told him. To prove his point, he pulled out a the bloodstained blade and presented it to him. The Commander's eyes perked up as he took the blade to examine the fresh blood on steel.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Auruo Bossard and Petra wander into the scene, they seemed to have emerged from the East wing. He paid no mind as Erwin gave a doubtful look. Rivaille reached into his pocket and pulled out Hanji's goggles, the Commander took those as well and stood there in silence. He was staring at the bloody steel as though regretting his decision.

_Guilt is sinking in to him._

For a long while, Erwin finally spoke,"Well done. And...as of now, I relieve you of your duties of watching for Eren, another order issued just a few hours ago."

Rivaille's shoulders dropped._ So this has to do with the fucking brat._

He leered at his superior. "I said I will be taking care of him, I thought I did enough convincing for them to have him in our hands."

"We still have custody over him, but...it's best to not go against the system right now," he told him as though he had rehearsed these lines before,"disband the elite team, there will be no more use for them now."

"Why not?"

"Since one of the people working closely with Eren was a Titan-shifter, it would obviously cause problems and unsettle the order we just established at the Tribunal. They do, in fact, have proof of her capabilities-"

Rivaille reached out to grasp his shoulder. "Show them to me."

"It's classified information," Erwin told him, handing him back the blade and goggles, he gave advise,"I would watch your back nowadays. I wouldn't be surprised if you're charged to kill someone else, or someone would be doing the same to you. The whole idea of Titan-shifters amongst us has put everyone in the capital at unrest-"

"You know this isn't how we root out traitors," he said with spite.

"For now, it's how they're going to do it. No trial, no evidence, nothing to press her against and yet they are wholly convinced to throw an accusation at her, of all people...I'm not in favor of the military's decision to kill Hanji," Erwin added with a tinge of regret.

Rivaille bitterly asked,"Then why are you going along with their plan if you don't agree with it?"

The Commander suddenly walked away. He had never left a question unanswered before.

Erwin was convinced that Hanji was dead but...it struck him odd that the man didn't ask for her body. A bloody blade and pair of snapped goggles were enough to convince him?

_Bullshit._

Rivaille understood how Mike felt earlier that afternoon when he was told about news that he could barely comprehend. Unlike Mike (who protested), he stood there and watched Erwin disappear up the set of stairs. Everything was definitely wrong. He could have been left to his thoughts and the two pieces of evidence of Hanji's 'demise' but the two soldiers that had wandered by approached.

"Corporal!" Auruo told him as he approached. Petra stood by but remained quiet, her sights were fixed on the blade in Rivaille's hand. The blond man with the unpleasant look and tongue, however, was able to address him. "Where the hell were you?! We've been looking for you and-" He bit his tongue. "Ugh!"

"I was busy," Rivaille told him assertively, throwing a glance at Petra who began to show a strong look of horror. She looked like she was going to faint, he would rather deal with her first before going attending to Auruo. "You, stop biting your tongue and get out of my sight. Petra, come with me."

Auruo nodded obediently with his hand at his mouth, then he took notice of the blood, when he saw Hanji's goggles in the other hand, he answered for himself what Rivaille had done; rumors were afoot, Auruo was one of the many who caught wind of such a thing. It was a sweeping look as he quickly walked away (he didn't question any further), leaving Petra with Rivaille. She stood there, still staring at the crimson liquid, her mind trying to process a something she could hardly understand.

Almost immediately, the blond woman unbelievably whispered,"You actually did it..."

"Petra, listen, this is just goat blood," he explained with an exasperated voice. He wished that this matter would have been kept a secret but second thoughts made him realize that she could be of use to him. She stared at him as though he were mad. "I didn't kill Hanji, just relax. She's on her way to the Flora, she'll be waiting for you and Mike-"

"Before you got here, Commander just arrested several other people under the same suspicion of Hanji, she's not the only one being persecuted. Mike left," she informed him, she was slightly shaky in her voice despite being reassured,"he went three hours ago because...because there are some who escaped and are hidden throughout the Karanese, now it's a search to find them; he was one of the people sent out but he said he'll break away from the search party to come back here." As she explained recent happenings, he sheathed away the blade. "What do we do now?"

Rivaille sighed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "To be frankly honest...I don't really fucking know."


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

REWRITE: Read over chapter 4, I redone the conversation between Erwin and Rivaille. The plot has changed to stay on course.

* * *

"The whispers are true then?" A soldier murmured, hands busy with filling his smoking pipe. His companion, the Recon Corps stableman around the same age, had already his pipe filled and lit, he exhaled his precious smoke to the side.

The coolness of the night had settled to them, letting peace cover their bodies. The aged stableman, tall and burly, had provided tobacco for tonight's relaxation.

"Yeah, I saw'er run out on that sorrel 'oday with th' Corp' followin' not long after when I's lungin' the green bay. Once I got th' horses back in place, Corporal arrived alone, sorta of chillin' tho'. Ta'think, him bein' able'a ex'cute another soldier without'a second thought," he shuddered. The soldier did so as well once he lit the tobacco. "He mus' be really cold, ruthless even. I'can't say whether it's dedication or some sick form'a pleasure to come back without battin' an eye."

The soldier grimaced. "I saw the way he handled Eren during the military tribunal, it was pretty brutal; didn't stop for a full five minutes of beating him shitless." His friend let out a low whistle. "I've seen him nearly do in another recruit a year ago, too. Auruo told me he used to be part of the organized crime back at the Inner District...Rivaille isn't even his name, they say."

"That could be a factor, is'na' uncommon for thieves and thugs ta end up in the military to avoid jail time. Then again, who'd wanna join? They could jus' do gov'ment service, like me," the stableman proudly said as he pointed at himself.

His friend chuckled,"How long are you going to stay here?"

"Fa' life. I finished my time. I get a good pay. I got a family. Is better than doin' what these horses see on a daily basis, slayin' Titans an' all."

They exchanged a few more words. The soldier was meant to be on guard duty but few every bother to break into the Recon Corps, let alone vandalize it. It was an easy day for them and had been for weeks as an expedition would be coming up later in the month. To the soldier's shock, the stableman asked him,"Did you know they issued a search for that woman? Th' one who left with Corp' on her tail."

He nearly dropped his pipe at the news. "Who? Hanji? I didn't know, I was checking the supplies (we're missing two tanks from the stables though, I can't figure why), no one told me anything."

The stableman pointed down the barn, towards the courtyard with his thumb. "Erwin makin' a huge scene back there. Tellin' everyone to shift out, can't b'lieve ya missed it, that's why mos' the areas empty an' all. Was hell tryin' to get th' horses all t'gether for everyone. Don' make sense...ya send sum'one out ta kill 'nd then ya send out more ta search."

"Guess whey want to make sure she's dead."

"Yeah...even the Military Police got involved."

"What? Seriously- hey, someone's coming!" The soldier went to open the gate of the stable as an approaching rider atop a white steed coming galloping back. By the torchlight, the rider stopped his horse and dismounted, revealing himself to be Mike. "Sir!"

The blond man gave a strange look to him as the soldier saluted with a smoking pipe at his chest.

The stableman took the white horse's reins and lead the horse away. No words were exchanged as Mike breezed by the soldier.

He had searched high and low of a ten kilometer radius, looking for signs of where Rivaille and Hanji had sped off to. The Corporal was nowhere in sight, his efforts were wasted when night had fallen. As he entered the courtyard, he spotted two individuals that stood in the darkness rather than the torches. From where he stood, he finally found Rivaille's scent. His heart dropped when he couldn't find Hanji's. He feared the worse had happened.

"...there he is, speak of the devils below," he heard Rivaille utter to Petra.

Mike rushed over to them, his strides long and purposeful. While being second best under Rivaille, he had strength on his side.

The Corporal didn't shirk like Petra did when Mike advanced upon him with an aura that disturbed the atmosphere. Something had set the man off as though he were already a group of dynamite strapped together and then some fool let loose one small spark. The first words that Mike boomed at him were,"You fucking killed her!"

"No I didn't," Rivaille replied smugly, expression unchanging. It was like he was telling him what the weather was.

"You fucking did! She's not here!"

As if on cue, Mike had suddenly threw a fist towards Rivaille but the shorter man sidled to the side and delivered a kick to Mike's stomach. It was powerful enough to bring him to his knees and wither to the ground, groaning. Petra fell to her knees by Mike, making sure he was conscious at all, she admonished Rivaille,"You shouldn't have done that!"

"Then he shouldn't have taken that swing at me." He unsheathed the blade and brought the tip down to Mike's nose as the taller man tried to regain control of his stomach. "Sniff that, pooch, and tell me that's human blood."

Mike scowled and reluctantly took a few whiffs. His face, once contorted by anger, turned into bewilderment. He dumbly asked between gritted teeth,"G-goat?"

"The shitty Four-eyes decided to play dead, Erwin bought it, now we need to figure out what to do."

"So...you let her live?" He sounded relieved as the pain he was feeling had slowly begun to ebb away. He sat up with the help of Petra but he stayed on the ground to catch his breath; Rivaille had knocked it out pretty hard.

Petra assured him,"He said she's waiting at the Flora for us."

Mike exhaled as though a burden had been lifted from him. "Do we go meet her now?"

He brought the blade back into his sheathe and leaned against the wall, arms folding on his chest with one leg bent to prop himself in place. "Not yet, not until you tell me what's going on."

"Alright," Mike huffed out as he got to one knee, he winced but Petra was by his side,"if Petra didn't tell you, there's a massive hunt going on for supposedly Titan-shifters, traitors, and so on. It was an order released after you left. Unlike Hanji, no one was told to kill on sight or execute, just arrest."

Rivaille took a moment to think about the specifics of that order. After a minute, he scoffed,"I have a feeling that Hanji was specifically targeted simply because of her involvement in researching the damn shits. No tribunal, just an order on faulty accusation, and Erwin didn't bother to ask for a body when I reported killing her. What does that say to me? The government has decided to become paranoid."

He gave a low "Hm" as his mind trailed off for a moment._ Hanji was right to fake her death and avoid facing arrest or confession, she had some insight in this...I guess her paranoia has its uses._

Mike and Petra both nodded at his assumption. It made sense to them as it did to Rivaille. After a moment of silence, he took a quick glance down and saw the distinct boot print on his shirt. Lips twitching in annoyance, he let out an aggravated breath.

"I'll be back," he finally told them,"this damn shirt..."

The Corporal walked away towards the living quarters. Mike gathered his bearings and stood up with the help of the smaller woman. She brushed off his jacket as he held his abdomen. "Damn," he cursed,"thought I wouldn't get another kick for a year."

"You know better than that," she chided him for his lashing out. As her hand went to dust off his stubble, he grabbed her wrist to gently nudge her away, telling her that he could take care of himself. She took a step back to lean against the wall, the very spot Rivaille was. "Tell me, Mike-" He threw his back against the wall and sank down to sit. "-you have feelings for Hanji, don't you?"

His mouth opened to speak but no words came out. He closed it as he decided to not say anything.

"Helping Hanji leave on time before Rivaille can get to her, you did it not because you saw it as wrong like you reasoned, you did it because you didn't want her dead," Petra reasoned,"you care for her more than you think."

At this, he let out a low chuckle, he brought his hand up and ruffled his fingers through his golden hair. "I would have done it for you too...but I guess you got me there, Petra."

"She may not have noticed it, but I do. You're always popping by to her lab, I doubt it's for any conversation with us though. I think it's sad, y'know...all of us work at Death's door, we're just inches away from knocking it it when we're beyond the Walls. Eventually, you find someone you love but then they're...gone," she sadly relayed to him. It was a fact. "She acts like she's socially inept but if you get her to focus on you instead of her work, you'd be surprised at how accepting she is."

Mike let a chuckle,"I know that part, that's why I like her. I just...hadn't been able to get around to telling her yet."

"Squad Leader Mike Zacharias," she began her teasing,"can kill Titans without flinching, can sniff them out a mile away, can conquer all living things, and is just one man below Rivaille...yet he can't fess up to Hanji Zoe, Titan-enthusiast extraordinaire."

"Hey! What about you? I see you staring at Rivaille sometimes." He reached out to quiet her down but she stepped away. His voice went up high to tease her,"Oh, Corporal, I didn't see you there. Corporal, Corporal, Corporal~"

"Shut up, I don't sound like that!" She whined. "I only call him Corporal because I respect him."

"You can't utter his name."

A blush spread on her cheeks. "Yes I can! It'd...it'd just be out of place! I don't hear you calling Hanji by 'Zoe'."

Mike was taken aback. "No one calls Hanji by the name of 'Zoe'! The last guy who did it got a test tube shoved so far up his ass that the queer guy from Auruo's Squad suddenly turned straight!"

Her eyes widened in shock. "When was that?"

"Five years ago, everyone figured that out," he said with a shudder,"she went bat-shit too. Even Rivaille couldn't get near her for a while."

It grew quiet between them, she looked over into the darkness of the courtyard. "I would tell Rivaille-" His eyes flickered over to her "-if I could...but I'd rather stay the way I am right now. I write to my father about this and he tells me to try and sit down to talk with him."

"You should if your feelings are that strong," he advised her.

They had known one another for three years after being promoted to Squad Leaders. Often they would speak to one another, like they were now, as friends, both realizing they had interests in someone else. Both at home and out in the front lines, they helped one another, just as comrades would. Idle talks were enough to keep them content.

"Yeah...but since Eren came along, I lost my chance. At first I thought there would be an upside to helping Hanji in the lab, hopefully she'd be the type to gossip-"

"Y'know she isn't."

"-but getting her to tell me about Rivaille, well, it's hard enough to get her to speak at all when she's working. Even if she does, it's just about Titans, experiments, Eren as of late..." She let out an empty sigh. "I'd be awkward to ask her of anything directly."

"I guess it can be a touchy subject. It's hard to get anything of Hanji out of Rivaille, he just tells me 'Shitty Four-eyes' can't focus on things for shit, God, sometimes I hate his vulgarity towards her," he stated.

She nervously chuckled,"He's brash as he is vicious."

Then his nose picked up on something. "He's back."

Rivaille appeared from the shadows, his scent was masked by the nicotine, preventing Mike from sensing him beforehand. Not only had he changed his shirt, he had also removed his Gear and changed into civilian clothes; he wore a white shirt with the familiar ascot; his shoulders were draped by a black long coat; his pants were exchanged for slacks; the boots were swapped as well for plain ones for riding.

They grew quiet as he drew near. He was carrying a crate, he carefully placed it in the center of them all. They didn't question what was in it.

"You're dressed well," Petra commented.

"I want you two to change to civilian clothes, it'll make us less noticeable to the patrols, should we encounter them. Leave your Gears in storage too, engaging in a fight now isn't going to help," he instructed.

Mike looked down at the crate. "Then what's in there?"

"Something we're going to need, I'll give it to you once we get to the Flora. Hurry the fuck up."

-...-

Under the feint light emitted from the street lamp, Hanji dismounted at the stables of the Flora.

It was unusually quiet, as if the tavern was empty. She hesitated and contemplated on whether to get back on her horse and seek refuge elsewhere.

_No, I need to stay where Rivaille can find me._

Mentally pushing herself, she removed the tack of her horse, tied it to one of the many empty stalls, and stored her equipment in the closet provided by the owner. Soldiers would often drop by the tavern so there was a designated spot for Gears, unfortunately, she couldn't trust herself to part from it, especially not now.

She had no money, she wasn't able to snag the cash she needed.

Her coin purse was in her room.

_If only Mike gave me money..._

Her hand consciously drifted down to her belt, she felt the leather pouch. It was small and was the size of her hand. Throughout the day, she had forgotten he had given it to her. Thankful that he provided her a means of being able to room comfortably, she quickly went to the tavern doors that was around the corner of the stable.

It had been three years since she entered the old tavern.

Everything was different. The heavy, wooden tables that were spread near the walls to allow room for dances and parties should the need arise now lined in neat rows like that of the mess hall; chairs were propped in tables due to no occupants (odd to her as she found the place packed before); the piano where the proprietor's daughter would sit and play was empty and collecting dust; a lazy, white dog splayed itself in the center of the floor, near the entrance, he looked half dead.

The Flora had gotten its name from the amount of flowers that used to line the walls; the wooden surfaces were now bare with baskets and wires, some had flowers but were withered and falling to pieces.

"Tobias?" She called out timidly, her voice echoed in the seemingly empty building. She knew of the barkeep, everyone did. He was the proprietor who was claimed to be the gayest (happiest) one in the land. She went in and the dog didn't even bother to look up or even jump as he would normally greet guests.

She heard the clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. Soon after, a man with red hair came out. She almost couldn't recognize him, for he seemed to have aged quite drastically since she saw him last. His hair had grown out and was tied back by a hastily done bow, a visible beard had wildly grew like a bush of weeds to his face, and his expression, once so bright and clean, now held only emptiness and despair.

He wore a messy apron that was smeared in oil and drink, his limbs looked thinner than usual, and there was a visible scar peeking down his right arm, disappearing up into his forearm; there were marks of stitches.

"Zoe?" His croaked out.

The sound of her name being uttered lit a spark but then her shoulders dropped at the sight of him. He looked delicate, not like how she remembered him before. She wouldn't lash out at him simply because she pitied him.

"I thought you'd never be back," he said in disbelief,"c'mere, let me look at you."

She went to Tobias and he examined her. She gently asked,"What happened to you?"

"Edith passed away...Maike got kidnapped during a break-in...business went down after that," he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she said, offering condolences. He gave a brief smile but then it disappeared as he turned away to go behind the bar.

"You're the first customer I had in a year," he told her with a heavy sigh, he carried himself as though he were a burden,"would you want the usual?"

Hanji shook her head. "No, I would like to have a room."

His eyes lit up. There was more revenue for lodging. "How many nights?"

"As much as this can give me." She took out Mike's coin purse and the placed it on the dusty bar. Tobias's bony fingers undid the leather strip to unravel the purse, he dumped the contents on the dirty surface of his counter and counted it. She pitied him.

The tavern used to be alive with songs, with laughter, with smoke, with friends, with happiness. It was like everything had been sucked away and replaced with death. The look on Tobias's face, his body, even his dog, told her that he could be at death's door by the end of the week. She stood there, watching him as he counted it. When he was done, his tired eyes looked up at her and he told her flatly,"A week."

"I need it for one night," she told him, he nodded, taking five gold pieces and then returning the rest to her pouch. She took it back as he gave her a key.

"Managed to keep the rooms clean," he informed her,"so don't worry about it being an eye-sore such as this. Room 3, upstairs."

Her hands took the coin purse. "Thank you...do you provide clothes?"

Tobias gave her a gentle, yet brief, smile. "Sure, yes...in fact, Room 3 is where I store Edith's dresses; they're in the wardrobe. You're free to take them, I don't have use for them myself. Here."

He handed a newly lit candle and placed it on the holder for her to take upstairs; a key was given as well.

"Thank you." She walked for the narrow staircase that was around the parlor. Just when she took one step, she glanced back briefly for a moment to look at the sad scene and then traversed up the creaking stairs. The little candle flickered with her movements, lighting the way for her when she got to the second floor. The hallway spaced out for her, giving her room to turn with her Gear.

She reached the end of the hallway and found her room.

She stuck the key through and entered, her small flame lighting the room. Wearily, she lit the candles on the wall and a nearby lamp to provide more light. After doing so, she settled her small flame at the bedside.

The room was fairly smaller than the one she had at headquarters, though it didn't feel cramp as her books weren't scattered and stacked haphazardly in here. There was a medium sized bed propped at the corner, it would fit for two people. A working desk and chair sat under the window that overlooked the street. Finally, the wardrobe that Tobias spoke of stood parallel of the bed. She would check it later if time permitted.

Her body wasn't tired though her mind was strained, it was starting to take a toll on her. Her mind was desperately telling her to sleep but instincts were yelling at her to do otherwise. If she fell asleep now, someone may come after her. She hadn't felt this uneasy since she was younger.

Instead of undressing, she undid her Gear and rested it by the edge of the bed. She settled the sheathes on the ground by the edge of her bed, then removed her jacket to toss it at the hair. She needed to lay down, and she did. Hanji threw herself onto the bed, laying on her back and looking at wooden ceiling. Slowly, her eyes closed.

She began to drift off for the next hour or so.

Out of nowhere, the sound of horses running down the pavement outside caught her ear. Fear suddenly coursed through her, it was like she was hiding once again. She shook away the feeling, along with sleep, and stumbled out of bed to check out the window.

Much to her relief, Rivaille, along with Petra and Mike, had arrived on a supply wagon driven by two horses. Knowing that her plan of deception had worked, she ran out of the room and sped down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: I urge you to reread chapters 4 and 5 as they had been altered to form a different storyline. I'm sorry for the confusion I made but I wanted to go a different way. Also, thank you for the reviews, they really help me give the drive to keep going. Please leave one, I want to see if you guys like this~.

* * *

_He had his hair slicked back as always, giving him a clean look, but he wore the clothes of a common man. There was a bit of refinery to his bolo but, from the crowd, she wouldn't have guessed him to be the criminal all merchants of the Karanese feared. It didn't matter to her, as long as he didn't look garish in the crowd, she would be content._

_She walked by his side. She was around his height at the time._

_Today was her day off, Gabrielle let her go as service was slow. It was always slow and the man she stood by was the only customer who frequented her work. Others come and go as more sought better resources. Their library was a small store that stood at the corner of the Karanese's merchant district but kissed the nobility by a few ways away, within it were texts that were old and needed tender care, but to those who needed them, they were precious gems of knowledge._

_Rivaille had told her he had business today in the merchant district, he invited her to come along for a moment; it would be the first of many walks they would take on the same day of the week. Today, they had spent the first thirty minutes walking, idly looking at stalls and seeing what wares vendors had, she took notice that he wasn't particularly looking for anyone nor moving anywhere._

_"What business do you have today, Mr. Rivaille?" She asked pleasantly, her glasses nearly slipping so suddenly. She pushed them back in place. She readjusted her straw hat so that she could see him._

_"For starters, there's you," he replied smoothly,"and that's all I have for today."_

_She frowned. "The suave you have, it irks me."_

_He lifted an eyebrow, curious. "Why so?"_

_As they walked, she looked ahead of them and at the road. "There was a man who deceived me and spoke the same way. Charmer, really, but I'm not willing to listen to that sort of thing, not anymore."_

_"Should I go beat the hell out of him?" He suggested._

_Hanji let out a soft chuckle. "If you can find him easily." Her gaze looked up and she distantly thought aloud. "I wonder how you can do it, hm? He's got the power and influence around here."_

_"If I couldn't destroy reputations, I wouldn't be where I am now." To emphasize his point, they strode by a rich man whose coin purse hung out. She watched him swipe it off the belt in a blink of an eye and they continued on, he handed the purse to her. "Look, a prize."_

_She took it and pocketed it. She had no respect for the prosperous men that looked above the people, it was a passion Rivaille shared with her. "Hn, a better gift than flowers."_

_"Only for you, Four-eyes," he told her as she opened the pouch to count the coins. _

_Little did they know that the rich man had taken a notice of them.  
_

-...-

"Hanji!" Petra nearly sobbed out.

She was the first to enter the tavern and was the first to greet Hanji. They embraced one another as Rivaille entered, he left Mike to the horses and wagon.

Tobias emerged from his room at the other end of the tavern to see the guests. Supposing that they would order for drinks, he went to sit behind the parlor to make himself available for them. His white dog, having seen new people enter the bar, had suddenly gone lively with voices and stood up, tail wagging in excitement. Rivaille cringed at the messy state of the tavern so he situated himself by the two women as they stepped away from one another.

"You decided to stay here," Petra breathlessly said, relieved.

"For now, yeah," Hanji said, still groggy from having woken up so quickly.

Rivaille broke in,"As much as the reunion is good, we decided that we are going to take action from here on out, operate on our own terms."

"Sounds just about right," the brunette agreed, though she grimaced,"knowing that you're here, I believe I'm pronounced dead?"

"Erwin apparently bought it," Petra said,"and since you're technically not in the Recon Corps, you're free to do as you will but you can't show your face anytime soon, unless you want Rivaille persecuted for helping you out...actually, it wouldn't bode well for us if either of us were seen with you."

Hanji lifted an eyebrow. "How come?"

"There are search parties going on throughout the district, Four-eyes," Rivaille told her. He glanced around the tavern. "God, this place is filthy. You couldn't pick anywhere else?"

It was loud enough for Tobias to hear, the proprietor looked more downcast than he already was but he stayed in place.

Hanji slapped a hand to his shoulder. "The owner is a good man, he's just fallen on hard times is all."

Rivaille brushed her off as he went to the barkeep, causing the old redhead to slightly wince at his advancement. "We need to have privacy."

"Of course, sir," Tobias complied. He gave a sharp whistle and the dog trotted to his side, he disappeared into his living quarters without questioning. Hanji gave a visible frown as she and Petra pulled off the chairs for them to sit on.

"Give the man a break, Rivaille," she urged, pushing up her glasses. Rivaille swept off dust from his chair before sitting down. She let out a quiet sigh,"Now, what about those search parties? Don't tell me they're meant for my body."

"You aren't the only one being persecuted for being a traitor," Petra said as she adjusted her skirt. "The Recon Corps and the Military Police are going about, looking for suspects that had managed to escape. Mike drove us through without running into them since he knew where most of their general locations were. There's no check-points set up so it was easy to get by."

Hanji's hand went to her chin, she does that whenever she was close to putting things together. "Are they being told to kill on sight?"

"No," Rivaille said, arms folding as he leaned back against the chair,"you're the only one I was ordered to kill. Petra told me that most being chased are new recruits. We even got pamphlets." Petra pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to Hanji. "Jean Kirstein, Sasha Braus, Reiner Braun, Armin Arlert, Christa Reiss, and Mikasa Ackerman. They arrested several others too-"

"Isn't Mikasa that overprotective girl that sticks by Eren?" Hanji pointed out as she looked over the names.

"Same girl-"

The door opened with Mike entering, holding a wooden crate. He settled it on the ground at their feet and said,"Hid the wagon in the alley." He cast a smile over at Hanji. "Glad to see you decided to stay here." Then he looked around the Flora, his face fell. "Hm...not as lively as it used to be. Where's Tobias?"

"Rivaille sent him away, guess he doesn't want us drunk," Hanji tried to jokingly tell them as she kept the parchment to herself,"well, now that you're here, what're we going to do? I'm supposed to be dead..."

Petra told her as she adjusted her skirt,"On our way, we were thinking of moving you elsewhere, outside the city. I was thinking to my father but by the time we get to the gates of Wall Rose, they'd already have set up check-points, we're too far South."

"I would like to move you to the underground mall, the military still hasn't gotten a hold on it as far as I know," Rivaille suggested.

Hanji's brow furrowed. "I'm not going back there."

"So the third option we decided to have if for you stay here until the coast is clear," Mike ended,"how many rooms did you pay for?"

"Just one, one night. I thought we would be moving soon but I can pay later." She let out a long yawn. "Now that I have a better grasp on things, what are you guys going to do?"

Mike leaned against the table, hands going back to brace himself. His tongue clicked twice before he spoke,"I've been tasked with looking for everyone, Erwin gave me a team and everything. Told them I didn't sniff anyone of them yet so they let me go to find out what they all smell like. Thing is...I need to actually smell the person, not their clothes, I'm not a dog of some kind. I had them looking at the Northern parts of the city so you don't have to worry about them spreading across town here yet."

"Delay the check-points and give me time to flee to the countryside," Hanji requested. There was a map of the Karanese pinned to the wall, near the door, it wasn't noticeable until one turned around. She got up and took the tacks off, then she laid it out in the table. She took out the coin purse and gave the gold to Mike so that he could indicate where he sent out search parties. "Most likely the kids will try to take places near the headquarters. Do they have Gears?"

Petra and Rivaille stepped up so that they all huddled over the map.

"All of them were wearing Gears when they took off."

Rivaille spoke out. "I was training them this morning, I had them use Gears for it."

"What about the horses?" Hanji urged.

"Only two fled on horseback on one horse, everyone else used Gears and then stopped midway to avoid being tracked," Mike recalled,"they wouldn't have gone far, it makes sense to send people within the general direction of where they seemed to have fled. We're planning on pulling back soon and then start again tomorrow morning."

Hanji stared at the gold coins representing the various teams.

Teens being persecuted. Her execution being issued. All of them were targeted as being Titan-shifters. If they planned on seeing physical proof for themselves to see if there are humans turning into Titans, they would be running their own tests. She asked,"Do you know what they do when they arrest the kids?"

"Probably interrogation, torture even," Mike said with a grimace.

Rivaille went to lean against the table, his hand went out for a gesture. "Had you ever heard of witch hunters? Legends speak of people being persecuted for being witches, so when they catch one they try to prove it. Burning, drowning, hanging, quartering, they're only proved innocent when dead. My guess is that they're going to try and kill off these people to prove if they are Titans. It's too late for those already in jail."

"Then save the ones that are out right now!" Urged Hanji, she looked up at Mike with the realization of their deaths. "They can only survive 'interrogation' if they have the power to regenerate their wounds like Eren, all of them, I doubt they could do it! Bring them here and we can find a way to ship them elsewhere!"

"And risk getting you caught?" Mike spluttered. "Risk _me_ getting caught? I'm in charge of the operation!"

Petra, for the first time in a while, spoke,"I wasn't assigned to any of this so...I can sneak myself around and get the kids, Mike can seek them out and before he sends troops in, I can fetch them out to bring them here. We can figure something out along the way."

"You do realize the fact that you can be branded traitor for this," Rivaille said, it sounded like he was scolding her but he added a praise,"but that makes you the better person."

She looked stunned at his compliment, not saying anything else. Hanji still held that gaze to Mike, he, in turn softened his eyes before closing them with a sigh,"Alright, I'll work something out. Considering Rivaille had just finished killing Hanji, it'd be a while before he would be let out into the search."

"Actually, Erwin gave me a warning of sorts, he told me to watch my back. I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to have someone try to lop off my head too. Now I'm starting to be the one who getting paranoid," he said bitterly,"I'll stay here at the Tavern with Hanji, make sure nothing happens."

The brunette gave a relieving smile and patted him on the shoulder, she smiled while saying,"It'll be like the old days." But it faded as Mike cleared his throat. "Hm?"

"Nothing," he said. He turned and headed for the door. "I'll be leaving now, I'll unhitch one horse and leave it here for both of you to use. Petra?"

She walked over to catch up but before they could leave, Rivaille called them out,"Wait. Petra, come here." She gave him a confused look but she turned and approached, Mike did as well. They stopped in front of the crate as the Corporal brought a foot to the lid; with a firm shove, he forced the lid to slide off to reveal packing straw. Within the muddle came silver gleams that glinted under the candlelight of the tavern.

He squatted down and pulled one of silver pieces out. It was a flintlock pistol with six chambers, one of those rotational guns that were illegal. As though it were a casual item, he held it by the neck and offered it to her, much to her surprise. Hesitantly, she took it, and then he gave her a leather holster for the waist, along with a small package of bullets and a pouch of gunpowder.

To the both of them, the presence of illegal weapons confirmed that he was truly someone else entirely before the Recon Corps. Only Hanji was the one unaffected by the sight.

"Take this, just in case. Without your Gear, you'll be thought of as a common person rather than a soldier. I'm giving you orders to fire when needed, is that clear?" He said, still glaring. Hanji, curious of such weapons, bent down next to him to reach in but he swattered her hand away. "No, not you. Mike, teach her how to load the damn thing."

He handed Mike his own gun. The tall man held it, twirled it between his fingers, and then stowed it away in the new holster. "I will."

"Good." He got up after closing the lid, she gathered Mike's coins and coin purse to tie off at her belt. "Hanji, you're carrying this to your room. You two, promise me that you won't get caught."

"Yes, sir."

They gave their last goodbyes and the two left, leaving Hanji to carry the crate with Rivaille walking behind her. As she ascended the stairs, she said,"I thought I wouldn't have to go into hiding anymore, I hate waiting."

"I told you your stupid hobby would land you into shit," Rivaille scoffed when they went into her room. She settled the crate in the corner, hiding it from view by place it behind the wardrobe. The candles were dying so Rivaille took the liberty of lighting whatever was left. When adequate light was given to them, Rivaille began to take his leave.

"What are you doing?" She asked, lifting a brow. "Aren't you tired?"

"I'm going to clean this place. If I'm taking up residence, I can't tolerate such filth below us."

He didn't offer to stay back and chat, he wasn't the kind to do that, not anymore. She shook her head while giving a short laugh under her breath.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

It could have been well passed midnight, maybe at 0200.

She sluggishly went to the wardrobe.

When work wasn't in the way, she felt dead tired. The motivation of research was what drove her to exceed the limits most would have with the lack of sleep. She'd often venture passed dawn when she was getting close to the end of an experiment or when she would be interacting with her former test subjects, Sawney and Bean.

They were butchered a week ago, much to her distraught, they were precious to her as the gave results she couldn't get from the field. Now that she was out of the military, the chances of extending her studies were gone.

Today was trying for her, she was back to where she was when making a decision would impact the course of her life; Titans changed that view as she was pushed to enjoy the little things in life. Behind the safety of Wall Rose, however, she takes advantage of the many things of life, disregards the small pleasures, and focuses on science rather than living.

Now, in a world where she thought she had found solace, she felt threatened once more.

Her hands pulled back both doors. They creaked open and she found numerous dresses, blouses, and skirts that hung on hangers. At the bottom were shoes and boots, nothing extravagant (she preferred simple things). Hanji was definitely not the type of person to take great care in what she wore or how she looked, often it was others who determined it.

Rivaille, amazingly, offered no complaint to what she looked like, nor did Gabrielle.

Both encouraged her to wear what she felt like. Well, Rivaille would adjust things here and there, clean a splotch or sew a hole (he was odd that way to her), but he accepted her. Her hands felt the soft cloth of every dress and skirt, gingerly touching them until she found something she deemed comfortable.

She took back the hanger and found it to be a white, sleeved dress, no frills nor folds, just a simple dress, though it came with an apron that had a few stains. Edith, the previous owner, was the waitress of the Flora; Hanji had met her numerous times and, quite luckily, had the same build as her. She tossed the dress to the bed, undid the straps that clung to her body, and stripped to discard her uniform on the chair; her boots were left by the foot of the bed, near the door.

She slid the dress on, it fit her well and she smoothed out any wrinkles she had. There was no mirror in the room though she didn't care.

From where she stood, she heard the distinct sound of a broom sweeping across the wooden floor. The man would never cease to stop. Throughout her years, she never figured why he struggled to obtain perfection of which that is cleanliness. He never explained it, he just does it.

Her body ached for rest and so she flopped herself to the bed, groaning at the softness of it. Within a matter of seconds, she couldn't hold back sleep.

-...-

It was 0800.

Tobias awoke to a sight that he had never dreamed of seeing.

Even his dog whined in perplexity as they stood on polished floorboards. Polished. Floorboards.

Their eyes gazed at everything, trying to take it all in.

The tables were free of every speck of dust; the walls where wires and nails dangled haphazardly were free of such obscurities; the windows were wiped so well that he thought they were never there; the bar was wiped down with bottles rearranged by content and alphabetized; the flagons were clean (how it ever happened was strange to him); finally, his eyes settled on the piano near the soot-free fireplace.

It was a grand piano, black by wood and the only strikingly "fancy" thing in the Flora; it made more sense for such an elaborate instrument to be here when flowers hung over the walls. From the night before, it had accumulated dust and looked ready to fall apart, keys yellowing with chords managing to rust. He limped to it, his dog sticking by his side, as he ran a gnarled finger on the edge.

He wanted to cry. And he did.

He had never seen it so clean in what felt like ages. He used to polish it, tend to it, care for it every day and night, he never played a note on it, but after a while, he stopped. Now, with its beauty restored, tears cascaded as he went to the piano bench to sit on it. Throwing his arms over the lid of the keys, he wept.

That was how Hanji found him when she came down stairs. She had heard his weeping and came to see what was the matter. She was awestruck at the sight as well but it didn't surprise her to know it was the quality of Rivaille.

She rushed over to Tobias and sat beside him. The dog whimpered as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tobias?"

"Zoe...the piano, the tavern...it looks so beautiful," he rasped out meekly. He threw himself to her and clung to her, his form was lithe and weak, he was lanky and so she let him hold on. "If only Maike were here...I wish I could hear her play..."

Hanji held him back as well. He used to be a cheery man, the liveliest one she knew, how he could be reduced to this had shaken her. He clung to the simple things, to his home, to anything that can give him comfort. Sighing after about half an hour, she managed to calm him down, his sobs now controlled and his speech now even,"I'm sorry...I just...hand't been able to keep the tavern up like I used to."

"It's alright," was all she could say. She would have said more but she was at a loss for words. Eventually, they both got up.

The sound of light snoring reached Hanji as Tobias went to the back kitchens to cook their meals. At the corner, in the dark and avoiding the sun's light, was Rivaille. He had taken to sleep at a table with a broom propped up on the wall beside him. He was slumped over the table, arms were being used as pillows. She went to him and gave him a gentle shake.

"Rivaille..."

He didn't budge.

"Hey, wake up."

Nothing.

A smile crossed her lips.

_It's been a while..._

She pulled a chair out to be at his side, facing it towards the open floor. With her strength, she easily lifted him up and carried him like a child (that was what she sometimes saw him due to his height), then sat on her chair. She cradled him. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. Secretly, she did this. Often times, others would be around to hiss out giggles and laugh. It was difficult to hold it in.

And then he woke up, gun in hand with the barrel pointed at her forehead when she blinked for a moment. Her mouth hung open dumbly. "...eh?"

"Put me down, you Four-eyed shit," were his first words of the morning.

Her lips curled back into a smile, it was mischievous. His eyes widened, it was the smile she held when she was about to hit that point of being beyond insanity.  
"Alright!"

She dropped him to the ground. The gun, amazingly, didn't go off but he exclaimed,"You should never be allowed to handle children, let alone infants!"

The gun went to rest on the floor, it tucked itself behind some legs of a chair after slipping out of Rivaille's hand.

Hanji roared into laughter at chaotic thoughts that came to mind. Seeing Rivaille on the floor, she lunged after him. Her weight pinned him down, her hands traveled to the crooks in his waist and began to fiddle around at his ticklish spots. It sent him bellowing rather than laughing, oh, he was going to be pissed by the end of this. Her legs anchored herself over his pelvis as she straddled him, he wasn't begging but demanding her to stop, though he didn't fight back.

_When was the last time we played like this?_ Her smile broadened when she saw a tear to his eye.

"You Four-eyed fuck!" He shouted, trying to push her away. "Get the fuck off of me!"

She didn't budge, she wanted to see him laugh. He rarely laughed, let along smile, he had a smug smirk when something pleased him but other than that, he remained neutral. She squealed, having a kick out of this rather than the man below her.

Then the yelling stopped.

Hanji eventually ceased her assault and looked down at him.

He stared back at her, eyes fixated on something.

"What?"

"You're not wearing your glasses."

"I'm not?"

-...-

_"Zoe," the old woman's voice came to her,"please come here."_

_Hanji had just finished sorting the books on the top shelf (she had sorted them incorrectly though as authors were not alphabetized). She carefully stepped down from the wobbly ladder and left the back room where most of their texts were kept. Her hands reached out towards the nearest wall to guide her, taking her to the main room where the register and lounging area was._

_Only three customers were sitting around at the desks, they were old and had tea served to them, compliments from Gabrielle. Hanji blurred by the old man closest to her as her hand grasped at a wooden chair, she shuffled by and eventually made it to the front. Her hand was suddenly met by another, she was face to face with the elderly bookkeeper; within close range, she could see her clearly._

_"Dear, I want you to meet Doctor Yaeger."_

_Hanji saw the faded form of the man Gabrielle introduced to her as a doctor. She gave a respectful bow as his voice said to her,"Sit on the table there."_

_She obliged and he went to one knee in front of her. She saw him clearly now; his long hair was tied back as he wore a pair of glasses. Immediately, she told him,"Doctor, my eyes...I can't see."_

_"Had this been going on long?" He asked as he examined her, his hand widening her right eye. _

_"She started misplacing books after a half a month of being here," Gabrielle openly complained._

_"Actually, it's been like this my whole life," she confessed._

_The old woman was kind but she had grown frustrated at the lack of Hanji's output at work. The poor girl could read but she failed to see things ahead of her...literally. Just the other day, she slipped over some loose papers that she couldn't see. It landed her with a bad bump and rendered her useless for two days. There was no problem the first few days as she was assigned to desk work._

_Problems only came when she was asked to shelve books._

_As much as it was a problem for Gabrielle, it was a problem for Hanji. They both decided to schedule a physician to come by, and he did._

_His hand left her face as he went to scour through his medical satchel. After a few seconds, he pulled out a small, leather case; he opened it and revealed a pair of spectacles that lacked frames. He unfolded the little frames and placed them on her face._

_"This should fix it," he told her._

_Everything was clear to her now._

_She was no longer as blind as she thought she was._

-...-

She instantly got off of him and rushed away.

There was panic in her, it struck him odd.

Rivaille managed to get to his feet after he reached for the gun. She was lucky it was unloaded. As he holstered it, Hanji had disappeared up the flight of stairs. His back ached from sitting, it didn't help when she tossed him and began to _fucking assault_ him as though he were a child. He didn't appreciate it, not one bit, but given the stress she had undergone the night before, he could give her a bit of slack.

He went to her room to find her sitting at the desk, her hands holding the pair of lenses she always wore.

She was murmuring something.

"Don't take off on me like that, the hell is your problem?" He asked as he approached.

She shoved her lenses on. A few seconds later, she began to clench her eyes closed and forced herself to remove her glasses. When she noticed that Rivaille enter her room, her expression dropped to a look of dread. "...I figured out why they want me dead. They must have found my documents when they staged the raid in my lab after Sawney and Bean were killed and..." She trailed off and he went to her side to see her fingers tracing the glass. "...I thought it would benefit us but I guess they took it the wrong way. It's in its early stages so I didn't send the documents up just yet..."

As she babbled, the sudden revelation hit him harder than the fastest horse in the Recon Corps.

Her lab was raided and searched as protocol after the slaughter of the two experimental Titans caught after the Battle of Trost. She was the head of the operation at the time, obviously they would go through her laboratory (she had multiple at every base and had numerous others operating them, though her main one was relocated to the Karanese, and she was the most active one in their world).

In order for her to work as a scientist for the military, she was required to turn in reports, anything that traced practically every movement made in order to avoid suspicion of working on anything illegal or detrimental to their cause. She may have neglected such notes for whatever reason she had so when the authorities searched her private quarters, they may have discovered something unsettling.

Whatever those unrecorded documents were, they surely set off an alarm when they were found.

She was a bit of an eccentric, not neglectful.

"...what were you researching this time?" He said, her speech picked up.

"It started with restoring eyesight to those who need glasses; I developed a formula after taking in the composition of blood from Titans, a mixture of both Eren's blood and Sawney and Bean's. I thought I could use their restorative properties, it was just a test. Before Sawney and Bean were slaughtered, I tried it on myself to see if it worked, when I thought it was a failure, I scrapped the idea but kept the notes. Now...this happened."

She pointed at her eyes.

"I can see. It took a full week for it to come into effect. Rivaille," she said breathlessly, she began to beam victoriously,"I discovered how to regenerate our bodies...like the way Titans do!"


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: Christa Reiss is one of the few that escaped arrest.

* * *

Petra's hand consciously reached down to the gun to check its presence.

She had barely gotten any sleep. They arrived at headquarters at 0500, routine checks were done at 0800. Two of those hours were spent with tossing and turning in her bed, her last hour consisted of dancing on the boarder between sleep and alertness. She was always a light sleeper, especially out in the field, most Scouts had it in them anyway.

Shaking out the sleep from her eyes, she ran down the basement halls where the holding cells were.

Mike had insisted that he couldn't smell anyone just by their clothes, he needed the to be physically there so that he could memorize them. Instead, they resulted in doing their own interrogation.

She only wore her civilian outfit. The guards were, amazingly, not there at the moment as they were most likely short on men, posts were not attended to properly at this hour of the morning.

The dampness and stench had gotten to her, the torches held at the walls lit her way, and the sound of...agonizing groaning reached her ears. Agonizing? There was one, a young man, it forced her to stop at one cell. By the torchlight, she saw a mess that made her back away, her body slammed into the wall with her hand covering her mouth.

Within the cell was a pool of fresh blood. She had seen her fair share of it, she had slain numerous Titans to know, but her eyes had caught to the source of it. A young man sat against the back wall of his cell with only his left leg sticking out for support. Her eyes traced from his left thigh, to his crotch, and to his right thigh where the rest had been cleanly sliced off at his knee.

The bloody stub was all there was, a bone was clearly shone. What made it worse was that he was someone from the Secpial Operations Squad.

_Wasn't I talking to you last night?_

"Auruo," she gasped.

_It's...a witch hunt._

She didn't know what a witch was but she understood the expression. People would go around claiming others to be the source of their problems, persecute them, torture them, and ultimately kill them. They had started with the new recruits and were working up the system, by the looks of things, they could have been pursuing anyone with connections to Eren.

A sense of guilt fell over her. She never saw eye-to-eye with the tongue-biter but she never thought of him to be persecuted, he was a good soldier when he didn't speak.

_Soon they'll hunt me...maybe Mike...finally, Corporal...anyone connected to Hanji as well. Oh god, they already took Auruo. Had they seriously lost it?_

She had to go on.

Gathering her wits, she moved on to the next cells. There were a total of seven different individuals. Five were rendered unconscious to speak. It seemed that those who were tested had their right limbs hacked off. Her stomach swirled when she found them by accident.

Erd Gin and Gunter Shulz, their right legs hacked off, fresh and bleeding profusely. Two other woman were there as well but she didn't know them.

_Their right legs...they must have been imprisoned overnight...glad I wasn't here for that...  
_

Shaking, she paused under a torchlight to read off the names of those who were free of imprisonment and currently loose; the pamphlets with pictures were being printed out throughout the central area of the Karanese. Speaking out any of the names may possibly elicit a reaction.

Petra cleared her throat and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Armin Arlert."

Nothing.

"Mikasa Ackerman."

Silence.

"Sasha Braus."

She paused.

"Reiner Braun-"

A dry voice came to her. "He left during the fight."

She hurried to the cell from where she heard the response. A pair of hands were sticking out from between the bars, dangling from the forearms. She pocketed her pamphlet and reached out to grab them. "Do you know Reiner Braun?"

The occupant was Bertolt Hoover. She had never seen him before. He had a defeated look but it held something that told her that he would get back to his feet when given the opportunity. She got to her knees by the metal door as he answered hoarsely,"Yeah, he's a close friend of mine. Got away in time before they decided to lock us up."

"Do you know where he is?"

"What? Like hell I'd tell you-"

"Look, I'm trying to save you guys. I want to stop this senseless slaughter as soon as possible. You saw your neighbors and-" Her eyes drifted over to the unconscious, or possibly dead, woman next door. "-they aren't doing so well."

He bitterly pulled away from her. "Get me out of this place and I'll help you get to Reiner."

"Deal." She said without hesitation as she looked at the lock. The keys were elsewhere or on some other person, she didn't have time to search for them. Her hand went to her gun, she may be able to bust through the lock if she fired. She got up and took out the weapon; Mike had loaded it and showed her the process of doing so half an hour ago. She never had to fire it before nor had she done so in her life.

Her aim was unintentionally at Bertolt who, upon seeing it, instinctively backed away with his hands in the air. "Don't point it at me!"

"I'm not aiming for you!" She nearly shouted.

She pulled the trigger. The recoil a was incredible and the sound cracked louder than thunder. The sound rung through her ears as she saw the lock had been burst open. Bertolt went to the door and simply pushed it open, a smile on his face. "Alright, I'll tell you."

"Hold on, I could probably free the rest of you," she said. She continued down the list. "Jean Kirstein?"

No response.

"Christa Reiss?"

"Over here," the voice of a woman came to her, it sounded desperate,"I know where she fled."

Both she and Bertolt rushed to her door. There was no need for explanation, the woman with black hair tied back by a clip quickly backed away. Petra fired another shot and the lock broke apart. The prisoner got out of her cell, brushing away a strand of hair from her face she introduced herself,"I'm Ymir."

"Yeah, Bertolt," the man said in turn. Petra gave a nod.

She looked at both of them. They were stripped of their jackets and harnesses for their Gears but still wore their pants and respective shirts, along with their boots. Both of them were unscathed and showed no signs of any sort of trauma; they were able-bodied, something she was looking for. Perhaps they were waiting for their time of interrogation.

"Alright then. Wait here." She spun around to head for the door of the jail cells, there were a storage of cloaks that were contained in a crate; she was lucky to have passed them on the way down her. She fetch three of the larger sizes and then rushed back to them, handing them each a cloak while putting on her own. "Here, wear these."

-...-

Groups mixed with Scouts and Military Police stood around in the open field by the headquarters. They were organized with one Scout per three soldiers of the MP. The reasoning behind and 1:3 ratio, according to Erwin, was to have MP soldiers keep a Scout in check during their search. Even Mike was given three MP soldiers to keep watch over him, much to his annoyance.

He was filling his canteen when three of his escorts came by to see to him.

"Your branch is giving us more work and with traitors running about, it's making you look bad," one barked out with laughter. Mike glared at them all but they continued to laugh.

In response, he got up. Mike was a tall man, standing at about 196 cm (6'4") and towering over most, even Erwin. The three men that acted more like hyenas shirked at his stature and grumbled, turning their backs away without wanting to start a fight.

The sun had just shinned over Wall Rose an hour ago, casting tall shadows that shortened as time lapsed by. He would lead his teams out after giving instructions, as ordered by Erwin.

_He's not even here to personally see to his men being taken...he's not the kind to do that, maybe he's being watched himself and can't do things by his own hand._

"Mike!" Came a hiss. He glanced around and saw a hand around the corner of a building. He glanced over at the three escorts that were engaged in conversation (despite being told to watch over people, they were neglectful as ever). Deeming it safe to slip away, he rounded the corner and found Petra with two hooded people.

"This is all you can get?" He asked, trying to see who they were. Their hoods were pulled over their faces.

"The ones that are alive and breathing well enough to walk, yeah, this is all." She left out the part of Auruo, Gunter, and Erd. "I bet the rest are held elsewhere, it seems they've taken most of the new recruits."

He was stunned, his hand went to rub over his eyes. "They killed them? Oh god..."

One of them, Ymir, spoke out,"They dismember people down there to test whether or not you can regenerate. Us both were lucky enough to not be interrogated yet. Other than that, we need to get to Christa- I mean, those that managed to get away on time. Personally, I know where Christa ought to be, and Sasha, I know they fled together. Bertolt knows where Reiner is."

"And wherever Reiner is, there's a high possibility that Mikasa and Armin followed him," Bertolt added,"Jean is just an arrow piercing the dark."

Ymir and Bertolt were oddly compliant and didn't hold the same paranoia he expected from them. Petra may have explained their situation or somehow earned their trust.

"All of them grouped together, eh? Sounds comforting to know where they are. These people will be scouring the Eastern parts of the city, hopefully you all can reach your friends before we do." He reached into his pocket and took out a map, he was lucky enough to have it though he preferred to have Hanji as she was more experienced in the city's streets than he was.

Ymir lifted a hand up and pointed at a section to the South. "I got her on horseback just in time and told her to go to the canal, there's a bakery on the street near the water. She'll be there, hidden in the alleyway across the forth post from the docking area."

"Reiner took off for the bar West of here," Bertolt began, Ymir stepped away so that he could indicate the specific area,"it's the one where we usually hang by."

"No one's checked there yet, and it's on the way to the Flora," Mike mused,"once you get your friends, I want you to go to the tavern over to the West, it's thirty-seven kilometers from here. It's basically across the city but we're going to give you a wide berth for about three hours. You-" He pointed at Ymir. "-are going to be pressed on time because after an hour, we'll be sweeping South for the docks and cable boats. From this place, it took us two hours to reach the Flora."

He pointed at the tavern's location and they took the time to memorize it until a sharp cry came out,"Zacharias! Where're you!?"

Someone had called his name. It was one of the soldiers that was supposed to keep an eye on him. He took the map back and whirled around the corner without letting another word pass through his lips.

As they hid in the shadows, they heard Mike calling out orders to everyone. Ymir leaned against the wall with her arms folded her arms under her cloak and said with suspicion in her tone,"Why are you helping us?"

Petra turned and looked at them. "...what? Springing you from your cells isn't enough to convince you that Mike and I aren't on your side?"

"We watched people scream and beg to not have a limb be hacked off in the early hours of the morning, we're obviously traumatized," Ymir sarcastically said, but the meaning was clear. She seemed to be the less fidgety out of the two though she showed her anxiety through the fiddling of her sleeves and heavy sighs.

"So you hadn't heard about Hanji Zoe?" Petra questioned, she didn't want to deal with trying to earn their full trust. There was a generation gap between them, they would be predictably wary of authorities, especially one like Petra. They perked up at the name. "Commander sent Corporal to kill her, something totally different from your friends."

"Then you're from the Special Operations Squad meant to keep Eren in check," Bertolt surmised, she nodded.

"Yeah, well, I was but not anymore. Persecution of Hanji had lead to our team being under suspicion; Auruo, Gunter, Erd, they were the three men in the holding cells," she said, then she added quietly,"it's only a matter of time before they seek me out."

Ymir concluded,"Comrades are placed before orders for you people, and I thought there was corruption all around."

"That's the Military Police," Petra interjected.

"Hm...anyway, your comrades were brought earlier this morning but I think most of them could last long with the amount of blood lost," Ymir reported to her, though she looked away,"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I'll drink to them later, we'll all drink," she said, crestfallen with a grimace.

Ymir decided to change the subject. "Well, what about Hanji? Is she dead?"

"No, she's hiding at the Flora. In fact, she's the one who wanted to save all of you. Instincts told her you were guys were in danger, guess she was right. After getting you all, we're going to get you out of the Karanese and to my father's residence in the countryside...or you can go off on your own if you have somewhere else in mind to hide."

"What about Eren? Are we going to get him out of jail too?" Bertolt suddenly asked.

Petra gave a thoughtful look, then quickly said,"Mike and I decided to leave him here, it'll keep the military from panicking and sending for more reinforcements."

Shouts and cries of horses came about, orders were being relayed and the search parties were scouring. When the last men were gone, Petra lead them to the stables where the ostler (unknowing of the two, cloaked escapees) gladly handed them horses under the assumption that they were part of search party as well. Ymir and Bertolt were each given an extra horse as Petra reasoned that they would be carrying more people.

By the time they had mounted their horses, Petra looked contemplative once again. Citizens may have not been informed of recent events (a way to avoid hysteria) so the fear of risking discovery had lessened very greatly, Mike had even driven the men in other directions. She looked at each of them once more, then told them,"Ymir, you're going to be on your own. I'll be with Bertolt since he'll be having more people. We head to the Flora once you get your friend, if you get caught or lost...then you're on your own, this is as far as I can help you."

"You don't have an extra gun?" Ymir asked as she grasped the extra reins, she seemed unfazed by the fact she will be independent but it was odd for her to ask for a weapon. "I need protection! I'm going alone at this and you have Bertolt with you!"

Petra noted that Ymir was going be on her own and, by chance, would be the one most likely to be pursued. She thought of Mike giving Hanji a chance by providing her defense. In turn, hoping she could rely on those with their Gears already equipped, she she decided to unhook Rivaille's holster; she tossed it to Ymir, along with the pouch of powder.

"Here, take mine- whoa there!" Her horse began to prance around, anxious at the knowledge that it'll be running soon. She gave a sharp kick to the side and it started to canter, she turned its head to bring it down to trotting in a circle. "Good luck!"

And then, without warning, she had sped off. Bertolt, without any other choice, raced his steed to be beside hers, he then overtook her as they disappeared into the streets. Ymir gave a hard kick and she went down her own path.

-...-

Sasha snuggled up to Christa with a groan, though it wasn't a pleasant one; it sounded like she was having a nightmare.

Her hand reached to trace the brown locks, a meager attempt to comfort her.

The young blond had awoken a few minutes earlier, her body sore from the training she done from yesterday morning. The strain from training also resulted in their Gears being rendered useless; their gas had run low from excessive use. They had removed them and propped them against the wall without the intention of using them.

Their horse was tied off nearby to a tie-down post in the alleyway, it was meant for customers for the bakery but they were the only ones there. Her traced back to the events that lead them to tuck themselves away within a hidden entrance way for the bakery; essentially, it was the back door. They clung to the walls and to one another...

_Ymir and her were getting ready to retire for the day but then they were called upon by Erwin. In the courtyard, in their sweaty uniforms, they were arranged in rows with their friends from training days while elder members lined the walls, watching them._

_Mikasa and Armin stood ahead of her in the front row, along with Jean, Reiner, and Bertolt. Christa was situated by Ymir and Sasha in the third row. They had only called up the nineteen out of the twenty-one trainees. It occurred to her that Connie was nowhere to be seen, along with Eren._

_"The military has declared," Erwin began, standing before all of them,"that there is a Titan amongst all of you."_

_There were murmurs coming from the crowd of fresh recruits. Christa glanced over at Ymir, the taller girl looked like she had gone pale in the face. Before she could say anything, the Commander carried on._

_"It will be an easy procedure as this is all based on suspicion. Worry not, we will only be interrogating you with questions, nothing more."_

_Then the elder Scouts along the walls began to approach with iron cuffs. They would have complied quietly without struggle if there wasn't a distant scream from the other end of the courtyard. Everyone halted, it was bloodcurdling, it was enough to make Reiner lose his place. Sasha whipped her head around towards the source and uttered,"That's what a dying animal sounds like...but it sounds like..."_

_And she took off, running for it. No one moved to stop her, even Erwin was unsuspecting of it. They were transfixed by the screams. Sasha had reached a corner where the screams resonated from. They saw her skid into a full stop and she too, upon seeing whatever she saw, let out a piercing shriek,**"CONNIE!"**_

_The peace shattered when Reiner bellowed,"Run!"_

_"Don't let them escape!" Erwin shouted over the younger recruit. The Commander was obviously confused, perhaps what Sasha saw wasn't what was meant to happen. Mikasa had taken out her blade, preventing the other Scouts from coming near her out of fear, Jean stood by as well with Armin though other soldiers were willing to engage them in battle._

_The rest of the trainees scattered in the confusion._

_Christa felt her hand taken by Ymir._

_Bertolt was easily subdued though Reiner threw heavy blows at two Scouts that had closed in. He shouted over his shoulder towards Mikasa,"Get out of here!"_

_"Not without Eren!" She argued stubbornly._

_They bantered on about their comrade though Christa couldn't catch the rest of it. Ymir had pulled her away from the crowd as they were focusing on Mikasa, the strongest one. However, two men managed to take a hold of Christa by her shoulders and waist. Immediately, Ymir whipped her whole body and delivered a punch to their faces, forcing them to release her._

_"Thanks," Christa said, but Ymir went on. They went to the stables adjacent to the courtyard, from there, Ymir picked up Christa and threw her small form onto a tacked horse. "What about you?"_

_"I'll hold them back! Head for the bakery, you know which one! Get out of here!" She unsheathed her swords and ran into the fray that had escalated. Christa could have run for the outside but she turned her horse, quickly following Ymir and then overtaking her. "CHRISTA!"_

_She saw that Mikasa had taken down two men, maiming them but not killing. Jean and Armin were locked in swordplay; Reiner had used his Gear and escaped, cuing the prodigy of their year to do the same. Bertolt was pinned down with his hands behind his back, it was a wonder how they managed to do that to the tallest graduate in their former training squad._

_Half tore after Reiner, Mikasa, and Armin, Jean had somehow slipped from their hold and had gone ahead. The rest had brought their focus on Christa as she rounded by the group holding down Bertolt. The Commander had attempted to pursue her, but then Ymir lunged into his way, her swords lashing out at him to faze him temporarily, a warning._

_She spotted Sasha and cantered towards her, her hand stretching out for her. "C'mon!"_

_Sasha didn't hesitate, she took it at the first chance and swung on behind the saddle; Christa rounded her horse once more, causing its rump to swing against an oncoming soldier. She kicked the horse sharply and clucked her tongue as swords began to swung after her. Ymir sprinted by to clear a makeshift path to prevent anyone else from closing in on Christa as she made her getaway._

_Within seconds she was free of the fighting as she tore down the field with Sasha holding to her waist, saying something about Connie though words were drowned out by a horrid sound._

_It was a roar, it was inhuman, it was Ymir's battle cry ._

_Why were they fleeing all of a sudden? What did Sasha see-?_

"The horses are coming," Sasha voice said, breaking her from her thoughts,"we better run."

She tried to get up but Christa held her back. "No, it's Ymir, she said she'll meet us here."

The sound approached, it wasn't sounding any signs of stopping. Sasha's usually goofy face grew increasingly worried as the clops of horses neared them. "Christa, I hear three horses, not one. Besides, she could have been captured-"

"Ymir's strong," Christa confidently told her, but Sasha got up and began to put on her Gear (it gave her comfort to know she had a weapon despite that nobility was no longer an option). Once it was strapped on, Christa tried to press,"She can get out-"

"They **cut off**...Connie's leg," Sasha admitted, Christa's eyes grew wide at this. So that was what she screamed about. "I'm scared, I want to go home. You can come along too but...I'm not staying in the military anymore, I quit. These people, I don't..." She was losing words when she got into the saddle. "Run with me, I'll offer you whatever you want, I'm not a part of this now, I give up."

Christa stood there, she grasped the headstall of the horse to prevent it from moving. "I saved you, you ought to listen to me-"

"Yeah, now I'm trying to repay that debt by giving you something!" Sasha shot back at her uncharacteristically. "I understand...our work with Titans, but doing this, killing one another, that wasn't what I signed up for! Let go of my horse!" She yelled. Without a second thought, Christa released it. The horse snorted as Sasha pulled its head around to test its willingness to give to pressure. Once doing so, Sasha sighed,"...I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's understandable," the blond murmured.

"You've been so kind to me, to everyone, I just don't want you to end up like..." She trailed off, not willing to say Connie's name. "...you sure you don't want to go?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright, just go," Christa said, though it was spoken with uncertainty. Sasha gave her a worried look before kicking her horse's sides. She broke her horse into a gallop down the opposite way from the main road that they had taken to go into hiding. Within moments of Sasha's departure, a cremelllo came running around the corner without a rider.

From a distance, she heard Ymir's voice yell,"Get on!"

There was obviously no time for them to reunite nor ask how she got out, Christa couldn't even grab her Gear either.

The cremello was closing in on Christa, the young girl prepped herself so that when the horse came, she would leap into the saddle. A few seconds pass and the horse came to her, she kicked off the ground with one foot narrowly getting into the stirrup while her other hand grasped onto the mane, pulling her up into the seat.

She took the reins and slowed her new horse down. She turned her head to see Ymir rushing by atop a black one, her cloak covering her though Christa knew it was her. She called to her, but the raven haired woman showed no signs of slowing down. "Ymir!"

Ymir passed her but her cremello, already anxious, tore after her rather closely, keeping up by her side.

"Were you followed?!" Christa asked, throwing a glance back.

Her answer was questioned when she remembered Sasha's warning of hearing _three horses, not one_.

Ymir was on a black one. Christa was on a cremello. Around the corner came the third and final one, a gray.

Atop the gray was Annie Leonhart.


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N**: As much as I love writing this story, I want to see how many of you guys actually like it. Please leave reviews~, they really give me the drive to try harder.

I update frequently, every day I'm writing a chapter~. The story has officially picked up.

Had you guys watched episode 15 of SnK yet? I have...I will say...Hanji, you poor thing *cries* Anyway, back to the story. I ought to write more A/N for you guys.

Ah, and for all you non-equestrians out there, a cremello is a type of coat color on a horse in which their coat takes on a cream color. Often times I refer to specific horses by their coats to give an indication of who is riding what.

**UPDATE 7/26:** I have made a few changes, I removed the previous Chapter 10 (containing Hanji's past and a brief glimpse of Rivaille's history), while it is relevant to the plot, I want to push it later on in the story. Sorry for all you LeviHan fans but something pushed me into rewriting it. Please bear with me.

* * *

Hooves thundered against the masonry.

"Shit," Sasha cursed. They were coming in to a dead end. There were no other turns in the narrow alley (large enough for two horses to fit through), just one direction, she thought it was the right way. Her horse, upon reaching the wall, reared and whined, turning and facing the other way without her command. Frantically, Sasha observed her surroundings. There were no windows or doors to break through, there was no other way to go but back. Back into the maw of the military that she had sworn her very allegiance to.

_They're going to come. They're going to come down the alley in a few seconds...they're going to kill me. I'm going to end up like...end up...just like-  
_

"No," she snarled.

She unlatched one holster to bring out a hand-grip. With a fierce thrust, she brought the slot down to a blade and hooked it in place.

With the sword complete, Sasha unsheathed it and let it rest on her side. It glinted up at her as though it were the only friend she had. She had to fight, she wasn't going down without one, she wasn't going to die without striking one hit upon someone. She wasn't going to die like the prey she hunted in the familiar woods of home.

Her horse, exhausted and dehydrated, nickered unpleasantly when she clamped her legs at each side of its barrel. It started slow, unwilling to take the strains of running, but she kicked with ferocity that forced it to press on. Her sword rose high and over her shoulder. Hooves beating ahead of her told her that her enemies were drawing near; she was convinced that the horses she heard earlier were not Ymir.

"I'm not going to die, I'm not going to die, _I'm not going to die_," she chanted as a mantra as her steed picked up speed.

The sight of a black and a cremello came to her in a blink of an eye. She was about to strike out, aiming for the cremello's rider, but recognized it to be Christa. Her sword swung low as she swerved away, barely missing Christa's thigh. It caused the blond to scream out and lean over to the side to avoid her as best she could.

"Sasha!?" Ymir shouted in disbelief, Sasha rounded her horse to follow theirs.

"It's a dead-end, don't go-"

But she was back to where she was. Their horses were immediately halted and turned.

"Did they follow?" Sasha panted, her adrenaline kicked in at some point, piqued at seeing Christa, and was still flowing even at that moment.

Christa breathed out,"Yeah, it's Annie."

Upon saying her name, another set of hooves neared them. Sasha kicked at her horse once more, beckoning it to gallop. Ymir and Christa lacked any type of weapon, they were relying on her to fight in their stead. It scared her that they rested their lives on her, it scared her that she would have to kill someone she once knew. Annie was a skilled fighter but Sasha hoped that she had the element of surprise on her side.

She ran faster when a gray horse came to light.

Her sword was held high and she steered her horse for a collision. Unexpectedly, Annie's face (as expression always seemed bored) contorted in shock as she tried to lead her horse to the right, this time, Sasha was quicker and had a much more definite target. She brought her sword down to strike at the blond. A cry came out from her as they blurred passed one another while stirrups grazed and sparked against each other.

The gray continued on.

Pulling her sword up, she saw half of its edge lined with blood. A severe hit. She turned her horse around and she chased after her, wanting to see if she had finished her off. Her horse, pushed beyond its limits, dropped into a lazy canter.

When she reached the end of the alley for the third time, she found Annie had stopped; she was still standing, alive but unmoving. She approached and saw that there was blood plastered to the gray horse's rump, it was fresh, it was Annie's.

"You have no where to go," Sasha growled, putting on a brave front. "You're outnumbered. I don't care if you were a classmate or not, we're not going quietly with you."

Her eyes shifted to Ymir and Christa. Their mouths were agape in horror, at least Christa's was, Ymir had an expression close to being shocked and, oddly enough, enraged. Annie, whose back was to her, didn't respond. Sasha let out a "tch" and walked her horse to her side, she then brought her blade to Annie's throat, threatening to lop her head off.

It was silent between the four of them. Suddenly, a hissing noise resounded from Annie. At first thought, Sasha believed Annie was making the noise by mouth but she realized it sounded more like water hitting a hot iron. Steam rose from her body, much like it did to a Titan. Sasha held her blade to her throat as she walked her horse around Annie's to see what Ymir and Christa were awestruck about.

"Put your weapon down," Annie finally ordered, Sasha didn't comply,"if you know what's best for you."

Sasha could clearly see where her she had sliced Annie. She had gotten her on the right of her and drove her blade downwards across her right arm, nearly severing it at the joint and leaving it on attached to the forearm through her skin and flesh. It was sickening to see her arm dangle, it was worse when Annie simply took her other hand, grasped her nearly severed arm, and pulled it apart, tossing her limb wall with a pained look on her face.

Sasha's body trembled and she backed her horse away; she threw her head to the side and vomited.

More steam rose from Annie's dismembered arm. She was regenerating.

"Why aren't you turning into a Titan?" Ymir inquired, though she was glaring.

Annie eyes flickered around the scene, then focused on Ymir. "This place is too narrow. But the moment you get into the open, I'll turn."

"Y-yeah," Christa shakily said, she had paled at the sight of Annie's self-inflicted dismemberment,"but you'll...you'll end up wanted too."

"Guess I can't have a reason to be a Titan then," she smugly replied,"well, I'll have to let you go, you'll make me compromise everything-"

"No, you're coming with us. Sasha, have my horse, yours is ready to drop dead," Ymir commented as she dismounted. Sasha was still vomiting while Ymir took off her cloak and wrapped it around Annie's joint so that they could cover most of the steam from being seen.

Ymir strode to be several feet away behind the horse. With surprising strength, she sprinted and then leaped up to mount it from behind, settling herself onto the back of the saddle. Christa, deeming it safe to approach, neared them both but kept her distance from Annie. She timidly asked,"Why take her with us?"

"She'll be good leverage against the military, give them proof that we aren't the ones to be sought after," Ymir reasoned, she suddenly brought out the gun and pinned it to Annie's back,"also, I wanna get back at her for walking-in on us...multiple times."

Christa's sickly face went a little red and she walked away, taking Ymir's horse with her. She offered the reins to Sasha while Annie retorted sourly,"Excuse me but everyone uses the barracks."

"Just shut up. Sasha, c'mon, she'll grow back a new arm-" In response, the brunette spewed more of her insides. "-ugh, you're taking it all out like a Titan-" More came and she was wheezing. "-seriously-"

"Ymir!" Christa snapped. "You're not helping!"

After a while, Sasha finally wiped her mouth, sheathed her blade, and got on to Ymir's horse, still green from what she had seen; she left her horse in Christa's hands, the blond obliged to lead it. As they walked, with Annie in front, white smoke and hissing flesh grew more abundant and louder by the minute, telling them she would regain her missing limb soon.

When they reached the main street, the blond did not shift into a Titan, much to the relief of the three Scouts.

-...-

Hanji spent the next three hours explaining to him...the insane result of her experimentation on regeneration. She raved and raved, even as they ate their meal, even as they went back upstairs, even as Rivaille began to clean her room.

"...so yesterday, I was trying to make more of it. By adding more of-" Her words drowned out as he glared at her boots; they were unpolished. "-and then Petra was supposed to write down what happened so I can remember the compounds..."

During her rant, he was thinking to himself of why she hadn't explained this to Erwin in the first place. It rattled his mind that hiding notes of a complex procedure could warrant a death sentence for her. Should this had been a another time, a time without Eren, Hanji would have gotten recognition (good ones with a promotion) without execution. By this point, it was useless to try and prove her innocence.

He had a feeling he would be charged for a vague suspicion, Erwin's cryptic warning was enough to convince him.

They would have to run away and start a new life, should they get out the Karanese.

For Rivaille this would be the second time; the first was when he was eighteen and pressed into the military after being stripped away of his wealth and power through insubordination.

For Hanji, this would be...well, this would probably be her third time. He didn't know much as far as she went with her past, he had only known that she was deceived by a man and that she had no other family other than Gabrielle. Then there was that time when they were forced to run in the streets for a few weeks, hiding from his once "loyal" criminally active friends; it ended with his own arrest and then a two offers: clear his records of all crimes if he could serve in the military or pay the price by execution.

He chose the military. So did she.

Hanji was free to move on in life but he guessed she feared the streets afterwards, she followed him, simply out of having no one else to look for.

He barely listened to Hanji as she continue on, but he found her smiling the entire time. She was happy that her experiment was a success, even going as far to disregard that it had ended with her being slated to die by a paranoid government; she must be overlooking it through the fact that she was still alive. She blabbered away, sharing her extensive research to him despite he had tuned her out after the first ten minutes of it.

His fingers rubbed a cloth against her boots vigorously, wanting to see them shine. He dabbed the shoe polish he had left on the bedside and then cut her off by saying,"You never told me about the guy who deceived you."

Hanji's eyes flickered over to him, she stared as though he had spoke in a foreign language. He couldn't tell if she was failing to process the words or she didn't actually hear him.

He repeated,"The man who deceived you, you never told me about him."

After fourteen years, she had never uttered details other than saying the phrase: _'the man who deceived me'_. She did her best to hide away her personal stories though she shown it several times through reacting to certain stimuli, such as the mention of chains, the underground mall, or even her name 'Zoe'; he was surprised she could hold herself together in her native district or when Tobias addressed her as such.

When he first met her, she was withdrawn and flinched at every movement he made, almost like a green horse that never learned the ways of the city. He would admit, when he was younger, that he had grown smitten with her shyness and slowly began to admire her accumulating strength through time together at the quaint bookstore; it was after her sudden obsession with Titans that his interests in her dropped.

He relied on her as she relied on him, that was enough for both of them. But...he felt that he wouldn't go on without her, not after all they had been through. At times, he'd wonder if she had the capacity to hold deep feelings for him, but those were fleeting.

Now, with her need on him being pressed over his mind, he felt that now he would have address it.

A long moment passed. She had grown quiet as she sat in her chair. Her hands were still fiddling with her glasses. "...you never asked."

Rivaille figured that even after all these years, she still wasn't willing to open up to him. Sighing, he apologized,"You don't have to say anything, Hanji-" He had ceased calling her 'Four-eyes' as she stopped wearing her glasses. "-if you're not ready."

"...no, I'm not ready."


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Thanks for the reviews~! I'll keep writing with more~

**UPDATE 7/26:** I have made a few changes, I removed the previous Chapter 10 (containing Hanji's past and a brief glimpse of Rivaille's history), while it is relevant to the plot, I want to push it later on in the story. Sorry for all you LeviHan fans but something pushed me into rewriting it. Please bear with me.

* * *

_He lunged for her, trying to get a hold of her body, but she grabbed an inflamed timber from the inferno. She struck out, swinging the burning wood at him and eliciting a howl of agony from the man, she didn't see the extent of the damage as she had taken this time to run._

-...-

The ancient grandfather clock in the Flora struck 1100.

The front door from below burst open at the eleventh toll so suddenly, it startled them, prompting Hanji to fly off the chair. She rushed to the window and peeked over the windowsill to see three horses standing about without riders but she saw a blond boy leading them to the stables; it was Armin being assisted by a taller man.

Her hand undone her ponytail so that she could redo it; it had grown loose throughout the morning.

"They made it," she declared, her persona shifting, Rivaille got up and headed for the door with Hanji licking at his heels. They would have to speak to one another for a different time, much to Hanji's relief. There were some things best to be left alone. Forcing the thoughts away, she heartily said,"I'm surprised they actually got here!"

"Me too," Rivaille confessed. When they got to the tavern downstairs, Petra was at the front door, holding it open while she was frantically waving her hand in a _'come here'_ gesture. Within seconds, Reiner came in with a bloody raven haired girl was unconscious in his arms. She was seeping so much, it was staining his shirt and even dripping to the floor.

Hanji's heart fell to the put of her stomach at the sight as Rivaille sprinted over to direct Reiner in bringing the injured soldier to a table. He removed his coat and laid it across the surface so that she wouldn't bleed more on the table. Instincts kicked in for the scientist as she dashed for the kitchen, saying,"Do you have any medical supplies!?"

"A kit, yeah," Tobias replied, with his dog sitting by his feet, looked up from his stool. A half-peeled potato was in his hands, he pointed his cutting knife towards a cabinet while asking,"What happened?"

The white dog, disturbed from its nap, got up and wandered away.

"Someone's injured, please, get me water in a bowl," she briskly said, her hands flying to the cabinet doors by her knees. She rummaged through the various kitchen wares until she found a wooden box; she checked the contents to see if there was everything she needed. _Sutures. Needles. Gauze. No anesthetics but the girl is knocked out._ It looked like only a quarter of it all were used but she took it with her anyway. Tobias had gotten up and picked up a clean, wooden bowl; he filled it with water and she gave an approving nod, then he followed.

Entering the tavern once more, she saw that Armin had removed his jacket and was using it to apply pressure to some part of her body, probably her stomach. She approached, shooing Reiner away as Armin exclaimed upon seeing her,"Oh my god, Hanji, you're alive!?"

"Yeah, big deal," she snapped.

"Y-your glasses-"

"Don't need them."

Reiner broke in to explain Mikasa's state,"We had no choice-"

"Tell me later later," Hanji barked, irritated by the interruptions, Rivaille was at her side, he nudged Armin away so that she could examine her body.

Her shirt had soaked up blood from her wound. Rivaille took the liberty of taking a knife from the med-kit and then running it up her shirt, tearing at the cloth to reveal her porcelain skin smeared with the crimson liquid; the bandages that held her chest were partially torn, he slitted those apart as well, exposing her chest and torso to them. Across her abdomen and angling up to the side of her chest was a long laceration that clean tore through her skin. It was made by the blade from a Gear, no other weapon can have such exact precision.

"Petra, get them away here," Rivaille instructed as Hanji tried to survey her body once more. The blond was about to usher the young Scouts out but then the seemingly unconscious girl let out a drawn out cry.

"EREN!" Mikasa raved, she sounded delusional. "EREN!"

Her body thrashed from both the pain and the adrenaline still in her. Hanji figured that she had just got out of a skirmish along the way to the Flora but, with the lacking of pursuers upon their arrival and a sudden burst from Armin, she briefly thought that something else had happened.

Mikasa struggled, her wound seeped more blood as she tried to fight, but Rivaille slammed the knife on the table so that his hands can hold her shoulders.

"LET ME GO, I NEED TO GET EREN!"

Armin could only stand there, his body had frozen in place; Reiner offered comfort by putting a hand to his shoulder, muttering to him,"You had to do it..."

Somehow, the struggling girl slapped Hanji in the face, leaving her cheek stained with blood, much to the brunette's annoyance. She cursed,"Fuck, I can't do anything if she moves around-ugh!" She was punched in the face and ended up falling over. "Bitch, I'm trying to help!"

"THEY'RE GOING TO KILL HIM! HE'S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT! YOU BASTARDS ARE COWARDS, YOU CHOOSE TO RUN BUT I CHOOSE TO FIGHT!"

As if on cue Tobias, who had left for the moment, returned with a bottle and rag. Over her screams, he told Hanji,"Zoe, here, I got some stuff!"

"Oh thank god!" Hanji gasped, relieved that he had anesthetics, or at least a crude version of it. She had done her fair share of medical practices on the field (should a soldier be alive) and, unfavorably, had to deal with several unruly ones who couldn't stay put.

Mikasa's wound was obviously terrible, she was bleeding out and the amount she was losing already could have killed a normal person. Her strength was renown and Hanji couldn't deal with her fighting as she was trying to mend her.

Tobias poured some of the contents of the bottle into the cloth and approached Mikasa; the rag was placed over her nose and mouth, muffling her screams. Within seconds, her voice died down, her body falling limp soon afterwards. She was rendered unconscious once more.

Once Mikasa had ceased her movements, Rivaille got down to one knee to help Hanji up. The brunette used both the table and Rivaille to get to her feet, she then rolled up her sleeves and began her arduous work. She slipped out of the world around her to focus on mending the wound, her deft hands working as Rivaille assisted her with placing pressure and cleaning blood that had seeped ought of her.

"Looks like it tore through her muscle then ends under her breast...I'll just put it together," she told it to herself though they all heard her,"at least this proves she isn't a Titan-shifter..."

Silence fell throughout the tavern as they watched Hanji's hands carefully suture. Armin, growing sick of seeing the process, turned away to face the piano, Reiner, on the other hand watched with a stern look as though he were counting on Hanji to slip up on something. Fortunately, she didn't. Tobias had ventured off once more and then came back with a tray of mugs; he brought out another bottle though it was surely vine.

Petra silently confirmed that the pair didn't need assistance, she went to stand by Reiner.

"We're in debt to you," he told her in a surprisingly hushed voice.

The sound of scissors snapping and vine being poured resounded throughout the room. Petra let out a sigh. "Not to me, I was ordered by her-" She indicated with her chin bobbing once at Hanji. "-to fetch you guys. Where's Bertolt?"

Water dripped against the wooden surface of the table and floor as Rivaille brought a now bloodied rag with water to dab against the wound. Hanji's body covered most of her work, leaving the rest in the dark of what she was doing. Reiner answered while throwing a glance at the door,"He's putting the horses in the stable, he's also making sure our Gears are operational."

"My part in getting you guys to safety is done, what you do for yourselves is now at your own risk though I suggest you consult with Corporal first...where are you planning on going should you leave?" She said, raising a brow. "The whole city is going to be covered by the MP and the Recon Corps, check-points should be going up by tonight."

"Perhaps...back to our home village, it's in lost territory but we'd rather be there than here," he said with a huff,"we're wanted men...we may as well flee to where none can find us. I can trust that Armin and Mikasa are safe in your hands so my own responsibilities are done now."

Tobias stood in front of them, one hand holding a single mug and another holding two. "Drink it, you'll relax." They nodded in thanks as they took his offer. "It's free this time, given the circumstances. If only Zoe were here to care of Edith..." He rambled on as he went to Armin. "Boy...take one."

"No," Armin meekly replied, voice riddled with a sense of guilt,"I'm feeling sick..."

"Bathroom is over there," Tobias said, pointing at a hallway that was adjacent to his bar. Armin immediately ran for it, hiding away from everyone. Petra drank slowly from her mug as her eyes drifted at Rivaille. The man's front had droplets of blood but he was holding up as best he can to help Hanji, she looked away and tried to focus on the cleanliness of the tavern.

"It was dirtier when we first got here," Petra stated, Reiner gave her an odd look when he finished his slip, she restated,"the tavern, it was worn down when we got here. Corporal cleaned it up."

"Never imagined him to be a neat-freak- unh!" She elbowed him.

"Don't say that out loud," she warned. They took another drink but then Petra saw Bertolt walking by the window. Knowing how Hanji reacted to being interrupted by the opening of doors, Petra cautiously ran to the door and then carefully opened it for him so that he would barge in unexpectedly. Bertolt gave her a confused look but thanked her with a smile.

When seeing Mikasa's body, it fell off of his face as he went inside with Petra gingerly closing the door. Taking notice of her body language, he whispered,"Is she alright?"

"She's in Hanji's care, she'll be fine," Petra assured him, patting him on the shoulder. She walked him over to Reiner's position and brought him the extra mug Armin refused; Tobias had left it just in case someone wanted it. Bertolt graciously took it and drank.

She stared at Reiner. His front was covered in Mikasa's blood as he was the one who carried her on horseback. An arduous hour ride it was, and a difficult one at that as Mikasa spent the time trying to fight back to stubbornly fetch her brother; Reiner had to knock her out a half hour ago but her spirit proved too strong to stay down for long.

Reiner uncomfortably shifted around in his bloody shirt. He murmured,"I'll go clean myself...check on Armin too," and then left for the bathroom.

-...-

He stepped into the men's bathroom to hear Armin vomiting in one of the stalls.

Reiner undid the harness on his chest and let it hang at his sides so that he could take off his shirt. He ran the sink and reached for a bar of soap to lather. Armin let out a long groan before emptying his stomach once more.

"You alright?" Reiner asked when there was a pause from Armin. His hands rubbed viciously at his shirt, trying to clear it of Mikasa's blood.

The stall door opened and Armin staggered out for the sink next to him. He turned the knob, causing water to gush out from the tap. He frantically drank it, then splashed it on his face, saying,"I just..." He fell to his knees, neglecting the sink he left on. Eyes wide and hands going to his head, he ruffled his hair. "I...could have killed her..."

"She wouldn't stop resisting," he said, turning his attention to his shirt. "You're not the only one feeling shitty about this, I had to hold her for you."

"We could have knocked her out, hit her head, something..." Armin rambled.

The suds were growing upon Reiner's hands, he continued to scrub away as he reasoned,"She would have killed us or drawn attention to us. Petra and Bertolt wouldn't have found us if we fled to try and get her. Besides, going back to headquarters would kill her...I know you want to get Eren too, but think about it, they probably would have moved him elsewhere as a precaution."

"I still don't understand...why you had to tell everyone to run..."

Reiner dropped his shirt into the sink and got to one knee in front of Armin. Being at eye-level, he reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying,"You have two things to work on: Sasha screaming about Connie and then the rumors about that Squad Leader getting executed for being a Titan."

"True...and yeah, that Squad Leader was Hanji...but she's alive now-"

"It doesn't matter, she's an example of how far the military is going to go. Even if we did get interrogated, they'd most likely try to kill us in the end regardless if we're innocent or not. Armin, we're wanted, all of us, those who escaped, they want us dead, they have the city in alert for us. Even if Mikasa tries to come clean, even if they run tests on her, she will die by their hands...better to have her half-dead than dead," he added, though he contorted his mouth in displeasure.

Armin gave an understanding nod. "The government...it's been acting up since Eren's trial and that double murder of Hanji's Titans."

"Suspicion, that's a truth right there. I bet to you that the woman saving your friend right now has something to do with it since the military wanted her dead so badly," he said, then he got up to resume his work,"indirectly...you could blame her for this."

"I'll...I'll ask her about everything later...when she's done. But still, Mikasa..." Armin trailed off.

"That girl is too dedicated to Eren for her own good, she needs to be less dependent on him to make her own decisions in life. It's like her world revolves around him," he commented,"she's going to get killed trying to play mother hen."

Armin eventually brought himself to relax, he let out a deep breath despite his occasional shaking. "It's always been like that but I see your point. I suppose the only way to stop her is through incapacitating her completely, that's something I...I don't want to do again."

He shuddered at the thought of how easily his blade sank into flesh; a wave of sickness coursed through him, forcing him to make a dash for the stall.


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N:** I have redone chapter 12, story shall go into a different way.

**UPDATE 7/26:** I have made a few changes, I removed the previous Chapter 10 (containing Hanji's past and a brief glimpse of Rivaille's history), while it is relevant to the plot, I want to push it later on in the story. Sorry for all you LeviHan fans but something pushed me into rewriting it. Please bear with me. Also, the website glitched on me horribly so I had to delete multiple chapters and re-upload everything once more, DX

* * *

An aching groan of the bells of the grandfather clock rang for the second time since Mikasa was brought in.

Following the last toll, the snip of the final suture and a satisfied yawn came to them. "Whew! It's done!"

Bertolt had taken a nap in a chair and had only grew aware of the sudden change of movement. Armin and Reiner (he borrowed a jacket from Tobias to cover himself) returned earlier and were sitting about near Bertolt, mugs at hand, though Armin still couldn't handle drinking at the moment; he had managed to mollify his anxiety and was just tracing the carvings on the wood with his index finger. When Hanji's voice came to them, they all snapped their heads up towards her.

She turned around and walked towards them, her bare hands were bloody, as was the apron. A proud smile was on her face as Petra went to assist Rivaille in wrapping bandages around Mikasa's torso. For decency, they covered her exposed chest with a Recon Corps cloak from Petra, "Alright, guys, she ought to be fine. She just needs some rest,but I will admit she lost a heavy amount of blood. A week's bed rest and she should be back to normal."

Armin spoke out with a hoarse voice,"Thank you..."

"It's no problem, as long she doesn't move to tear a stitch, she'll live." She turned and headed for the bathroom.

The three, wanted Scouts got up from their chairs and neared Mikasa; Petra had wrapped the last roll and had clipped it off.

"She's pretty useful when you give her someone's life," Rivaille commented, Petra couldn't have agreed more.

Tobias suddenly came to them with a key, little did he know that a simple statement would bring on a fight. "Room is free for one night, but you will be charged if you stay longer."

Armin whirled around and suddenly snapped,"You're charging for an injured person!? She needs a week's rest, you bastard, show some charity!"

"Boy, this is a tavern, a business, not a sick-home or hospital!" Tobias retorted angrily. He had been generous to Hanji and Rivaille but, with so many people in his establishment, he felt that he was in the right to be payed for the influx of potential customers. Rivaille could have spoken out but he needed the tavern owner to be riled up; all the anger he had hidden away under his misery needed to come out soon, the Corporal was waiting for it. "You people in the military come here thinking you can just...just barge in and expect to be served!"

He shoved the key towards Armin's face but the blond, in turn, pushed his hand away.

"I have tabs that have gone unpaid for months! The most charity I can give is to not rat you out to the Military Police!"

Rivaille's eyebrow twitched at the threat. The man was listening to their conversations. He obviously posed a danger, Hanji may be trusting the wrong person. Armin, free of his Gear and any sort of weapon, shot back,"We can't afford extra nights right now!"

"Then you may as well take that bitch's body and leave after tonight!"

"You're being unreasonable, Tobias!" Petra inputted, now holding Mikasa's body upright with Reiner by her side. Tobias reached around to his back belt and brought out a cutting knife, his key was tucked in the palm of his hand. "Are you crazy!?"

Eyes bulging and nostrils flaring, he rasped in a crazed and desperate way,"Customers are supposed to pay!"

By then, Rivaille was fed up. He reached to his side and brought out his unloaded gun, pointing it across the table towards Tobias. The redheaded man, as did everyone, froze in place out of fear of the firearm. "Just give us the room, you damn fucker. I don't care if you are an old friend of Hanji or not, it doesn't matter; I can kill you and this tavern will still be standing for our needs, you'll simply be a dead body-"

"Enough! Rivaille, put the gun _away_!" Hanji's voice broke through when she emerged from the bathroom, shattering the sudden intensity of the room and preventing them from getting physical. She had a washrag at hand but she threw it to the bar as she ordered,"Tobias, stop arguing and give them a room!"

Her words left no room for Tobias to fight against. His eyes softened at hers and his nostrils, still flaring, scrunched up in offense. Reluctantly, he gave Armin the key and mumbled,"Room 2. Up the stairs."

Pointing a finger at him, she added firmly,"I don't want to hear another word about you turning us in."

As Reiner picked up Mikasa's newly bandaged body from Petra's arms, Hanji advanced upon Rivaille, her now clean hand grasped at his bloodied cravat.

Tobias glowered at her, murmured something about needing to see the horses, then stalked for the door, Rivaille was about to pursue him but Hanji kept him in place. The tavern owner flung the wooden entrance open and then slammed it shut, causing the frames on the walls to rattle violently.

"And _you_," she said, voice low and dangerous,"I don't ever want to see you point that gun at Tobias, he's in need to get back on his feet, just give him a break. The man lost his wife and child."

She released him as he holstered his flintlock, he glared at her in turn when he couldn't speak. She gave an exasperated sigh, trying to stop him with his threats was like trying to get her to shut up about Titans. Without wanting to say any more, she made a gesture while saying,"Armin, Reiner, come with me, I'll show you the rooms. We need to get her new clothes..."

As she trailed off up the stairs, the front door burst open, catching their attention. She was caught mid-step but she gestured for the two teens to continue up the stairs. Hanji descended down to see a tall, black haired woman stop at the threshold and then toss a blond girl wearing a Recon Corps cloak; she landed in a puddle of Mikasa's splattered blood.

Her hands were tied behind her back, they were held together by a strip of leather that was used as a rein for a bridle.

"Annie!?" Bertolt blurted out as the raven haired woman stepped over her, gun still pointed at the back of her head. Christa's head popped into sight from the edge of the doorway, curious as to who was inside; once comfortable, she slipped in and passed Ymir so that she would be inside the tavern.

"Who's that?" Rivaille demanded, eyes flickering to Ymir. She wasn't dressed properly as a soldier and she held one of his personal guns, it told him that she was most likely one of the escapees that Petra met; the blond may have given her the gun but he had to make sure she was one of them.

"It's one of the two I got out of prison," Petra answered,"she was there with Bertolt."

Rivaille took it in and said,"Alright, she took a hostage, though I don't see the practical use-"

"She's not just any hostage," Ymir responded, a victorious smirk was plastered on her face,"she's a Titan. And she's going to solve our problems with that fucking organization you call government." Her voice was rose to address everyone. "Is there a basement here? She needs to be in a small space or else she'll transform, it's a hassle enough to not be paranoid on our way here."

Hanji spoke up from the bottom of the steps,"Yeah, I'll lead you to it."

Ymir took a handful of Annie's blond hair and forced her to her feet. The blond didn't put up a struggle, strangely, as she was lead at gunpoint towards Hanji; the brunette motioned for her to follow and they traversed behind the bar for a door that was tucked under the stairs. Hanji opened it and a set of stairs leading underground were revealed to them.

The trio disappeared with a lantern lighting their way as Petra cleared her throat to address Christa, who had seated herself near the piano rather than the bloody table,"Were you followed?"

"No, not at all, it was clear on the way here," she said with a relieved face,"Sasha is coming, she's just with the horses."

"Sasha Braus?"

"Yeah, her."

Petra pulled out the pamphlet and read over the list. They had rescued almost everyone, she correctly guessed the blond as Christa and, with Sasha in tow, there was only one person left in the Karanese. She looked up from her list and informed Rivaille,"Jean Kirstein is the only one missing, sir."

"We need to deal with one thing at a time right now. First, we need to secure that so-called Titan. Second, figure out what the fuck we're going to do with said-Titan and hope she doesn't arbitrarily transform underground; I don't want to wake up at night with a roof no longer covering my head," Rivaille reasoned. "Is she on the wanted list?"

"No, sir," Christa pipped up,"she's part of the Military Police."

His eyebrows peaked up. "Oh? This will make things interesting for everyone," he mused, he then raised his voice,"I want you all to clean up this mess Mikasa made, cleaning supplies are in the hallway to the right, in a closet. I'll check on that Titan down below, I expect this filth to be gone when I return."

He went off for the bathroom. Once he was out of earshot, Bertolt to blatantly asked,"Is he serious?"

Within moments, he emerged with his hands clean though his shirt was still stained with red, he glared at the young soldier, saying,"I'm fucking serious," as he descended into the depths of the cellar.

-...-

"You don't have to point that at me now that we're underground," Annie said with bitterness.

Ymir gave a nudge to her back and said casually,"It just gives me security. Plus, I still want to get back at you."

"Good lord, you're still on that subject? May as well just push the trigger now if that'll get you off."

"Shooting you won't do any good."

"Exactly, so just-"

Hanji chided them,"Both of you, please be quiet, I can't hear myself think."

The stairwell to the cellar below was much more compact than the flight to the second floor. The steps were of stone, as were the walls. The cellar was used to house the vine barrels but, since business went slow, torches that lined the walls were left unlit. As a result, Hanji would pause every few steps to light the old wicks with her lamp.

She kept cautious by having a good distance from Annie.

Her thoughts wandered to Rivaille pulling his gun on Tobias. Rivaille would only resort to threat when there was a good reason for it. She was washing her hands and forearms when she heard voices rise. She wiped herself clean, left her bloodied apron at the sink, and then found Tobias holding a knife over Armin, clearly that fight was about to go awry but she saw Rivaille aiming the barrel. Sure, it was uncalled for but there had to be a reason, a very damn good one; she wasn't the type to demand anything from Rivaille.

She decided to let it roll off her shoulders when she remembered he blatantly stated something about becoming paranoid last night. She reasoned that Tobias may have overheard bits and pieces of their conversation with Mike and Petra, she left a mental reminder to speak to him about keeping their whereabouts a secret; however, she had a feeling he was bluffing, she couldn't picture him going to the authorities or interacting with anyone.

_Tobias must be at fault...I suppose with so many people coming in, he thinks he could make a profit, friend or not, I'm just a customer. Maybe he doesn't care about our situation-_

As she lit the seventh torch, Ymir said,"I take it that you're Hanji."

"Former Squad Leader Hanji Zoe, now pronounced dead? Yeah, that's me," she distantly responded with chagrin.

The brunette stopped at a door that was at the bottom of the stairs. She forced it open and the tiny hallway expanded into a larger one, then it merged into a decently sized chamber where giant barrels were propped on proportional stands. The cellar stretched for a good twenty feet with a high ceiling that composed of wood. Footsteps from above were heard from where they stood.

She lit four torches that stood at the four, wooden supporting columns that held the tavern up. Then Ymir prodded Annie to walk to the middle of the cellar where Hanji pulled up a wooden chair. Without any force, Annie complied and sat herself, a fight now would be troublesome to her. She would have to deal with the famous Lance Corporal Rivaille should she make any attempts to escape.

"You can put that away," Hanji told her as she found ropes in the corner. She hastily tied Annie to the chair; both hands rested behind her, both ankles were secured to the wooden legs. Ymir clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "What?"

"She's stronger than the average person but there's reason why she wasn't fighting when we rode; she'll get caught for becoming a Titan on will. Plus, she was steaming all the way here, barely grew an arm back out by the time we arrived," Ymir explained,"we had to hide it under the cloak."

Said cloak was draped on Ymir's shoulder, she had taken it off before entering the tavern.

"So you figured out she was a Titan because she was regenerating. The time it took you to get her here was hardly enough for her to grow back her limb so even if she tried to leave, she'd be caught," the woman surmised, Ymir nodded,"I think she'll be a danger to us if she doesn't have a reason to hide from the public."

Ymir raised an eyebrow, wondering what she could be getting on to, but the sound of a pair of footsteps going down the stairs prompted them to look over their shoulders to see Rivaille. He had caught the last of Hanji's words and told them,"Then hack away at her body parts. Forcing her to regenerate will prevent her from having to leave."

"I actually see that as a great idea," Hanji agreed, though she was wary of him. She placed her lamp on the ground as she no longer needed it.

"Personally, I'd rather do it myself," Ymir offered as the Corporal approached them, he brought a hand to examine Annie's face. She shrugged away his fingers but held a bored look as though she were trying to say she was not intimidated by them.

"No, let Hanji do it," Rivaille declared,"she has the better knowledge than either of us."

Ymir shrugged, then she finally holstered the flintlock. "If you say so. I recommend getting chains for her, ropes aren't going to cut it in the long-run."

-...-

_Her ankles and hands tugged at the cuffs. Despite her wrists being thin, she couldn't slide it through. She whimpered and tried once more, fighting against it until her joints bled against the unforgiving metal._

-...-

Hanji shirked at the sound of chains having to be used, she wanted to avert the use of it so she told her,"I practice on Titans, not humans-"

"She isn't human," Ymir pointed out. She found a stool tucked between two of the large, vine barrels. She brought it out to sit on it in front of Annie.  
Hanji pressed her hand against her chin, contemplating her thoughts on Ymir's words.

"Is she a freak?" Rivaille scoffed. He suddenly threw a punch with a enough force to break her nose. The sickening crack made both Hanji and Ymir flinch but it didn't stop there, he threw another one; this time, it resulted on blood spilling from her nostrils. Annie didn't let out a cry or groan, but instead, glared harder at the Corporal as he took out a cloth from his back pocket to clean his dirtied knuckles. "Definitely a _freak_."

"Does it hurt?" Hanji asked, going close to Annie.

The blond's eyes glowered at her. Within a matter of seconds, steam rose from her nose, telling them she was regenerating. Amongst the hissing from the vapors, the blond struggled out,"Barely."

"If she can hardly shed a tear then she can lose more limbs," Rivaille said cynically.

Hanji gave a slightly disturbed laugh under her breath but the two next to her ignored it, then she agreed with a sinister fervor,"Fine, I'll take care of dismembering her. Just let me get ready, I need a clever and something to work as a gag; no matter how tough she is, she's going to scream at one point. The ceiling is thin here, I don't want everyone else to panic once she makes noise."

"Hm...for a moment you sounded like you didn't want to experiment on her." He made a gesture for Ymir to follow, and so she got off of her stool as he headed for the door. They left Hanji as she began to talk to their new hostage, the one-sided conversation drowned out as they went higher. "She's going to have too much fun with her."

"Fun?" Ymir questioned as they ascended up the steps, her question was left unanswered.

Instead, Rivaille praised her,"It's good that you brought a hostage...she'll get us out of a tight spot when we get into one."

"Well, considering she's from the MP, we could use her to sway the military to look other places besides the Recon Corps. We can stage a public showing of her transformation in front of everyone, stir things up, and slip away."

"If we're going to do that, Mike, the guy leading the search operation, needs to check on us soon so that we can set that up. For now, we need to stay here until Mikasa is well enough to run. Armin mentioned something about having no choice...it makes me wonder what happened with them," he mused. He glanced back at her,"I didn't catch your name."

"Oh? It's Ymir."

He briefly paused in mid-step. The name sounded familiar, like it was in a journal from somewhere. It came to him. _Ilse Langer, she mentioned someone named **'Lady Ymir'** in her journal before she died..._

"What?"

"...it's an interesting name," he thoughtfully replied as he resumed his ascent.


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N:** I rewrote chapter 12, please go over it as the plot has changed.

**UPDATE 7/26:** I have made a few changes, I removed the previous Chapter 10 (containing Hanji's past and a brief glimpse of Rivaille's history), while it is relevant to the plot, I want to push it later on in the story. Sorry for all you LeviHan fans but something pushed me into rewriting it. Please bear with me. Also, the website glitched on me horribly so I had to delete multiple chapters and re-upload everything once more, DX

* * *

Her Gear was disposed onto one of the storage racks, along with everyone's.

Hands trembled as she undid the cinch to her saddle. She just finished putting away Annie, Christa, and Ymir's horse.

Knowing that its work for the day was chestnut she had escaped on snorted happily, the chestnut horse head burrowed into the bucket and sloshed the water around. Compared to Sasha, the horse was oblivious to such horrors that the girl had seen.

His voice shot through her ears.

_**"WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?"**_

She could still hear...her friend screaming. Instantly, her mind reeled back to when she turned the corner and found him pinned down to the floor with several men, cloaked in the black robes of the Wall occultists, standing by. One had a hacksaw, the other held his decapitated leg. Blood profusely poured from it like a faucet to a sink. Blood. Blood. Blood.

Connie's blood.

Her stomach flipped at the recall and she threw herself against the wall, leaving the saddle on the horse's back. She couldn't vomit again, there was nothing else to release. Tears came to her. Was he dead? Was he alive? He was screaming, surely he'd still be alive. But his leg.

His leg. His leg. His leg.

_What they did to him...they would have done to Christa and Ymir, to me if we hadn't fled...I want to go home now._

Sasha sank to her knees and squatted on the floor, convulsing violently with sobs. Her face buried into her forearm as she held her knees close, she couldn't handle this. She hadn't cried this much since she had decided to enter the Recon Corps. Now she was regretting it; she wanted to go back home, to the hunting village and hunt animals, not Titans. She wanted to go home to her father, apologize for what she had said and done, and just live.

She sealed her fate a month ago when she saluted to dedicate herself to the Recon Corps, alongside Jean, Ymir, Christa, Bertolt, Reiner and...and Conn-

A tongue licked her cheek.

Startled by the sudden contact, Sasha yelped and fell to the side, blinded by her tears. She whimpered as a heavy weight came over her, keeping her down. Wiping her eyes, she tried to push the weight off of her. She was met by an onslaught of the same tongue licking away at her face; her meek cries slowly became small giggles, then laughter when her hands felt fur.

"H-hey, down, boy," she half-sobbed.

There was a white dog atop her, she didn't mind it as she playfully shoved its face away from hers. She brought herself to sit up against the wall as the dog crowded into her space, nudging its body towards hers, inviting her to pet him. It was panting with its long, bushy tail wagging and thumping against a saddle rack nearby. Her hands stroked its head, then its ears, and finally its back.

It calmed her significantly as she tried to push thoughts of Connie out of her mind. She asked the dog,"What are you doing here, cutie?"

It gave a whine and leaned into her touch, she only cracked a smile at this and continued to stroke it. It was as white as snow with fur so lush that she didn't feel the skin; its ears were wide at the base of his head and then tipped at the other end; its paws were large with legs with firm muscles; overall, she determined him to be a shepherd's dog.

The sound of a door slamming shut came to her but her focus was locked on the dog accompanying her. Soon, footsteps came, and then a redheaded man popped around the corner. His expression was tense until he saw Sasha sitting with his dog; whatever was on his mind flew out the window and, from his miserable face, came something that was like a smile.

"His name is Weiss," Tobias explained,"hadn't seem him so lively in a while."

Sasha wiped a stray tear from her eye and continued to pet Weiss. Her voice cracked,"He's a good boy..." and then she followed it with a sniffle.

Tobias strode to the chestnut to remove the saddle. The blanket slipped off but he ignored it as he went to the other end of the stable to store the saddle away. While doing so, he said,"You look a lot like my daughter Maike, she used to play with him a lot. He thinks you're her."

"Is your...Maike here?" Sasha asked.

"No, she was kidnapped a year ago. She'd be sixteen by now." He returned with a bucket of grooming supplies. He picked up the blanket and tossed it to the saddle rack next to Sasha. His bony fingers then reached to the grooming box to pull out a brush. "Around your age."

She didn't say anything but she continued to pet Weiss. He laid down and sleepily yawned while Tobias rubbed away the accumulated sweat from the horse's back. After a long silence between them, he told her,"...take him, he'll be happier with someone rather than dying here. He's just three years, he's good, smart too, it'd be a waste for a young one to stay with me."

Sasha gently prodded Weiss's mouth to test his temperament, he merely sniffed her fingers and then licked them. Her hands went to his haunches and forcibly shifted his body left and right to find that he didn't snarl or snap; from this, she reasoned he had a calm and quiet demeanor. Once she was done checking him, she rested her back against the wall.

The loss of a friend and then the gain of a new one. She felt alone at the moment and she needed someone, anyone. She contemplated on having a responsibility but she gave in when he rolled over and allowed her to rub his stomach.

Weiss stuck out his tongue in a silly manner, causing her to to give out a broken laugh.

"I'll take him," she said, tears seemingly gone by now. She stroked him.

Tobias tied the chestnut off in one of the open stalls, he looked down at her and the dog, then stated,"You'll love him like Maike did." A pause, he licked his lips to moisten them. "Where are you from?"

"Dauper Village," she replied.

"My wife was from there...Edith Braus was her name," he sighed heavily. Sasha's hand paused her hand and she brought here to stare at him in disbelief.

"Edith is my aunt," she said, voice hitching,"i-is she here?"

Tobias's jaw dropped.

When she was young and barely to remember, perhaps around three, food had become drastically scarce. Her aunt, along with several others, departed to the main cities to find work; their system worked for a few months when the hunting had gone low, but eventually, the shipments failed to arrive. She had never met the woman personally but her father would sometimes mention his sister and how she stopped sending letters and food after a year of her departure.

Edith was one of the last to send anything. Her father would curse her name from time to time, ranting that she had abandoned their village to starve.

"N...no, she died three years ago. A carriage slammed into her on accident, bled out in the street," he somberly said, getting onto the ground beside her. His limbs crossed over one another, she could see the thinness of his legs through his baggy slacks.

"...my village started dying because she stopped sending for food-"

Tobias interrupted,"That was a mistake on my part. She grew busy with Maike and the tavern here. She told me about her hometown, how they needed food, but our hands grew tied with business." He gave her a contemplative gaze in which she didn't respond. For the first time she had seen him, he gave a genuine smile. "Tell you what...I'll give you and your friends free lodging for as long as you need...and send food to your village in due time, a way to apologize to you and your family."

Sasha couldn't tell whether to be relieved or shocked, overjoyed or angered. All she could do was give him an embrace.

-...-

"Hey, I got your things," Ymir announced her presence when she reached the cellar. She found Hanji sitting on a stool in front of Annie, watching her intently.

She approached her from behind and jabbed her in the shoulder with her index, causing the woman to yelp out. "Why don't you people ever knock- oh, it's you."

She slouched down in her stool as she brought her attention back to Annie. The blond had apparently taken to sleeping and was unresponsive to the noise, though Ymir felt that she wasn't truly in slumber. A cleaver from Tobias's kitchen and gag (a simple cloth that could be stretched) were presented to Hanji. She gratefully took them and finally got from her seat.

"Great, now I can get started," she excitedly said with an odd smile. She went around to be behind Annie, then pulled her head back by her hair, prompting her to open her eyes. Before she could protest, Hanji slipped the cloth around her head, then tightened it at her mouth to prevent her from speaking. Nimbly, she tied it off behind her head and stepped away with the cleaver dangerously dancing between her fingers. "A shame I hadn't gotten this far with experimenting on Eren."

"So you're the Squad Leader I've heard that's bad-shit crazy about Titans."

"The one and only~." Her voice drifted into a sing-song tone as she neared to inspect the no-longer steaming wound from Annie's nose. "Hm, it took a half an hour for her to Regenerate that but then an hour for her to grow back a limb."

Ymir dragged the stool further away for herself and sat down to watch her. "It means you'll have to cut off something every hour."

"No bother," Hanji said as she began to untie the ropes at one leg. Annie glowered at her and, with one limb free, she tried to strike out but the older woman lunged back to avoid her. "She the closest I can get my hands on, so why not take the time to do as I wish?"

Her hand brought the cleaver up high and charged at Annie. The blond was suddenly letting out a squeal of protest as she watched the blade near her body until, finally, it embedded itself into her right thigh. A gut wrenching shriek was muffled by the cloth but it was loud enough to make Ymir flinch in her seat. Sickeningly, like a butcher, Hanji strenuously brought the blade back up.

That smile quickly faded.

Blood followed the cleaver's path and the sound of flesh grazing against metal resounded through the cellar. A disgusting pop came from the separation between metal and muscle when Hanji pulled it away. Once more, she brought the blade back down with enough ferocity that a dull thud resounded from her.

The crimson fluid profusely leaked out to form a pool on the floor, some, by an artery, squirted out and stained the bottom half of Hanji's dress. Ymir grimaced at the sight as Annie let out another piercing scream through the cloth she clenched taut between her teeth.

"...this is your true nature?" Ymir questioned aloud as Hanji, much to her own surprise, effortlessly unsheathed the cleaver from the thigh. No answer arose from her when she brought the blade down once more, pulled it back, slammed it down, over, and over this process went on. The raven haired woman winced when the blade sank into Annie's leg once more.

They came in slow, choppy thuds. Annie's body convulsed with every blow as she struggled in the chair. Soon, the thrust of the blade became rhythmic and purposeful, even more eager when she eventually shattered through the bone.

The girl. Her piece of humanity was proven as she groaned in agonizing pain. Ymir could have sworn Annie was about to become delirious at the horror of dealing with Hanji, her head lolled to the side as she tried to cope with herself. With every swing, Annie cried. It was heart wrenching, it was almost like the dying scream of Connie.

It took...five minutes? Ten? An hour? She had extraordinary strength to hack away at her flesh and bone. Hanji's hand went to the dismembered limb and pulled it away, tearing at the last cloth and skin, thereby separating it completely. The cleaver clattered noisily on the ground as she held the newly cut leg in her hand in wonder. Steam began to emit from the leg and also the stub of which Annie was panting and wheezing like a dying dog.

From Annie's body came the familiar vapors that rose from a typical Titan, though it wasn't a comforting sight to begin with. Ymir got up and cautiously approached Hanji, wary of anything she could do that would count as unpredictable.

There was a murmur from her.

"I think you're done," Ymir told her assertively when she couldn't address the words properly.

No one in their right minds could do this. The whole scene would have been topped off would be if she laughed.

But she didn't. She turned to face her, holding the limb as though it were a child. She whimpered with an blank expression,"So this is what it feels like." She presented Ymir with the leg, in turn, the taller woman backed away. "It's strange...doing it to a human." Her chin pointed to the back wall. "Open one of the barrels there."

Ymir's face contorted in disgust as she went to one of the smaller barrels at the other end of the room, Hanji followed closely. "Didn't we just establish that she's not human?"

"She screams in response, therefore, she feels pain. Much like a human," she distantly told her.

After opening several vine-filled barrels, she found an empty one. Hanji dumped the leg inside and closed the lid, she then headed for the door without uttering anything else, leaving Annie in the care of Ymir.

"I'll be back..."


	13. Chapter 13

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

"Reiner Braun? Ymir?"

No answer came from the holding cells.

A man garbed in black billowed by the occupied cells where the dead slept peacefully in their own blood. It was time to determine if the last two were Titans, they had to know; he feverishly brought himself down the hallway to find two, iron doors to be ajar. Both had locks busted and, what made matters worse, they were empty. He threw himself back against the wall in disbelief.

"Oh...oh no..." He scrambled to his feet and sprinted as fast as his legs could take him as he shouted at the top of his lungs,"E-escape! They escaped! Pastor Nick! They escaped!"

-...-

Rivaille laid in bed, his mind drifting in and out of consciousness as he lingered between the borders of dream and reality. He could have almost gone fast asleep until the door opened to Hanji's room. Light from the hallway candles poured into the darkened room (he had pulled the curtains over the window to block out the sun), his eyes slit open like a cats as he squinted, seeing a feminine form at the doorway.

"What?" He said.

"Oh, sorry, sir," came a voice. It was Petra. He sat up on the mattress. "I just...hadn't been able to sleep at all, only had an hour's rest."

"Here, take this," he said without putting up an argument or giving an explanation. He was well aware she had underwent great stresses for the day; the ranged from springing people from cells to finding more escapees to free. As a reward, he the least he could do was give her the bed. He rolled his shoulder to shake out a strain as he got to his feet.

He had gone to bed without a shirt, thus his bare skin was exposed.

The sound of her shuffling uncomfortably prompted him to put a clean shirt he had stolen from Tobias's quarters. While buttoning up the shirt, he neared Petra, saying with a slight yawn,"Go ahead, Hanji wouldn't mind."

He easily slipped by Petra and found himself in the hallway. From there, he stepped by Room 2 where the door was cracked between the frame and wood.

He nudged it open a bit to see Armin resting his head against Mikasa's arm, his back bent to lay by her. Next to him was Christa though she was resting her head against the wall. They weren't doing anything and both appeared to be sleeping, Rivaille closed the door completely and continued on, down the stairs. It had been an hour or so, i would be best to check on Hanji to see her progress. He found Tobias on the other side of the bar, hands busy at taking records on some ledger.

The man didn't look up at him and seemingly ignored him but words were passed on,"Zoe's in the restroom cleaning up."

_So much tension from the man..._

He passed by Bertolt and Reiner as they spoke in low voices. Something about going to their hometown? He'll deal with it later. He approached the restroom and entered, disregarding social norms. It wasn't a big deal or anything, none were there to point out his social faux pas. Upon entering he found Hanji sitting next to a bucket while wearing a tablecloth to conceal her body.

He approached her and knelt beside her as her hands were vigorously scrubbing away at something. He glanced over to see that she was washing her dress; the water was red with fresh blood and splotches of soap suds barely covered it all.

"Did you have fun?"

The scrubbing became more vicious at hearing him.

"Hanji," he addressed her carefully. She turned her head to face him directly.

"Hm?"

"What happened? I never seen you do laundry before."

That was a fact. She was so scattered brained when it came to organizing her life, clothes weren't an exception to it.

For a second she gave him this..unreadable look before letting out an uneasy smile while saying,"I just had a lot of blood from Annie. Thought I could clean it..."

Rivaille gave an obvious frown at her statement but, like always, he decided to let her cope with whatever she done on her own. His eyes drifted towards her work, then at her current outfit. The tablecloth was wrapped around her body like one would do with a towel. It looked so makeshift and, to his standards, pathetic. He rolled back his sleeves and gesticulated for her to give the dress to him.

"You're not doing it right. Go upstairs and get a different outfit, I'll do this," Rivaille sighed. Hanji reluctantly gave him the bloodstained cloth, he took that moment to sniff her. "While you're up there, take a bath. You smell like death."

She truly did considering the stench of blood was still on her. Hanji got up and readjusted the tablecloth; for a brief moment he saw that her hands were wrinkled, telling him she had been fruitlessly washing the damn thing for quite a while. As he set to work on the dress, she asked,"Had you ever...hacked away at someone's limb?"

Rivaille thought back to when he had to run interrogations on his own. Without hesitating, he replied,"A couple times."

"Alright...I left that girl down in the cellar with Annie." She was referring to Ymir. "Oh...and Tobias said dinner will be ready by sun down."

She was gone at the corner.

-...-

The clock read 1900.

"Reporting to Mike Zacharias," said one of the Scouts. The Military Police glowered at him, then stepped aside to allow the fellow entrance to Mike's office.

The former Squad Leader, now turned hunting dog, was given a large space where he can operate with the other MP units. Overall, his actions seemed reluctant as they had spent the entire morning and afternoon, yielding no results of the whereabouts of the runaway soldiers. The Scout, around his middle years, pushed by an MP officer so that he could reach the long table where Mike was given a detailed map of the Karanese.

"Sir!" He called out, the blond man straightened his back. "One of my escorts had gone missing throughout the search."

The bustle of the room went quiet as he began to retell his story.

First the report of two prisoners loose and now this. Mike knew of his responsibility for the first problem but the second was out of his hands.

"We were heading out this morning, I was given three MP escorts, just as everyone, and told to be one of the ground parties. Annie Leonhart was her name, she said she saw something suspicious and left for the South while we headed East...time struck after an hour and we began to head South to where she went. We scoured the streets for her more than the fugitives yet she hasn't turned up."

Mike have a nod, taking in his story. The second-in-command of the operation, a sour man by the name of Fritz Gervas of the Military Police, stated,"She must have been taken. Round up the escorts, I want a headcount of my men." He turned to Mike with a furious look. "We need to set up check-points **now**, Zacharias, already we have one of our women missing."

As the reporting Scout was dismissed, Mike poured himself over the map while the bustle returned to the room. His eyes flickered to the location of the Flora every so often that it gave the impression he was ignoring Fritz. He hated the way the brunette man carried himself; he was a shorter man by a few inches and, with his height, came a pushy personality. Only ten minutes with meeting the man, Mike had grown to despise him; his stench was so strong that he didn't even need to bother to smell him.

"Zacharias!" Fritz snapped.

Mike was given the bastard a few hours ago in replacement of his three escorts when they had finished surveying the Southern part of the Karanese. Already he wanted to smack him in the face. Without losing his temper, Mike calmly inquired,"Had there been any reports from the Garrison?"

"They've been the same, they hadn't spot anyone using Gears throughout the day."

"Alright, tell them to seal the Inner Gates of Wall Rose," he said finally, it made Fritz less antsy.

"And the check-points?"

Mike tiredly answered,"Anywhere near the Walls."

"The Underground Malls, what about those?"

"Those especially," he said,"we were ordered to not enter but you can set things around them...look, you take care of things here, I need to speak to Commander."

He heard Fritz utter,"Lazy dog," under his breath and turned away.

Mike rubbed his eyes and then pulled away from the desk. Fritz called up several men as Mike slipped away the the hubbub and entered the hallway. One of the MP guards spotted him and followed without question, as he was ordered to. He and his stalking escort traversed up the stairs and down many corridors until they reached Erwin's door.

The guard stopped by the door when Mike opened it.

_At least they give privacy._

Upon stepping into the large yet simple office, he found Erwin standing by the window, his back facing another individual dressed in such finery that Mike interpreted him as a diplomat from the Inner District.

"...surely you're plotting something, Erwin," the finely dressed individual remarked. Within his hand was a glass goblet filled half way with vine, he was swishing it counterclockwise as it was the only thing he could play with. "As we speak, you're being decimated to nothing more than a dozen individuals in the Recon Corps. The poor souls in the cells below us- ah." He peered over his shoulder to see Mike advancing on the red carpet. "It's your tracking dog, he's here."

Erwin turned to see Mike, he rounded around the table to address him properly. "Did you find them?"

"No, instead, one escort from the ground team went missing," Mike reported, his eyes shifted to the fine man. His nose twitched at the heavy amount of cologne, he was tempted to rub his nose to be free of it. Instead, he scrunched his nose and dubiously asked,"Who's this?"

"Marquis Isidor von Hermiha, he's the current head of the Hermiha House," Erwin explained, Isidor gave a pleasant smile.

He was a shorter man by a hand though he held an air of elegance and extravagance. His front was embezzled with various medals to state his rank and traditional position in society, his clothes were embroidered in golden thread, and his face, well, it was horribly scarred, thus killing his outfit. Despite the nasty marks that dragged across his right eye, he held no effort to hide them as his luscious, brown hair was slicked back and tied off by a red bow.

As protocol, Mike gave a brief salute before bringing his focus to the Commander.

"Why isn't Marquis Klaus von Karanese present?"

A servant, one not familiar to Mike (he guessed the servant was one of Isidor's), came to offer the man a glass. Mike refused politely and the servant went off to the drinking rack to await any requests.

"He supported the Recon Corps's existence so then he was detained to the royal prison with Marquis Isaak von Trost," Isidor drawled out,"I only came here to bring in last orders from the capital...and my own, personal vendetta." Mike raised a brow but remained suspicious of him. "Just so you know, unlike those other Marquis who see the Recon Corps as a waste of men and taxes, I find Erwin to be useful in what he does.

"It strikes me the wrong way that the military is forcing him to execute his own men by...using his own men. Truly a way to break up the Recon Corps from the inside," he gave a chuckle, his disfigured face contorting grossly.

Mike tried to process the information. The bewildered look on his face prompted Erwin to explain,"The disbandment of the Recon Corps was issued three days after the raids of Hanji Zoe's laboratories. When the Military Police produced several documents that are rather upsetting myself, Commander Pixis, and Commander Dock held a private caucus with the Generalissimo, the rest of the District Marquis, and even the King himself. As this case involved the essential removal of the branch in the military, other officials had to be present so that proper judgement could be passed."

Isidor drank leisurely from his glass and strode to the desk so that he may lean against it. The smug face he had was too cocky for Mike's tastes. The Marquis pulled the rim of his glass away from his lips and lazily told him,"So, a vote was passed on whether to continue to let its existence go on or not; those who said anything against it were arrested, as was the King's order. Naturally, those who do not know the direct wrath of Titans were more inclined to care less of the Recon Corps.

"Giving you people the Titan boy, Eren Yaeger, had made the King uneasy for weeks. Hearing other news of your mishaps and then this whole issue with documents had thrown the government into_ fearing_ you, and that definitely didn't sway the King into your favor. A rather complicated matter, really, but I'm still here showing my support for you. I voted for your destruction to save my hide, but believe me when I tell you that I'm on your side."

He reached back and brought out several pieces of papers, he offered them to Mike.

"Squad Leader Petra Ral is to be found and killed on sight. Lance Corporal Rivaille, same orders," Isidor said, he mused before drinking once more,"hm, how does one kill the strongest soldier?"

"The same is for you," Erwin told Mike,"but I'm withholding that for now."

Mike remained silent as his eyes read over the profiles numerous times.

Isidor's characteristically distorted smile faded into a haggard frown when Erwin inquired,"Did you set up check-points yet?"

Mike remained quiet.

He, and numerous others, dedicated their lives to the military. It made little sense to him that their government would willingly overthrow their most active branch. As a man, he had his rights to speak out but, as property of the military, he should have consented to being thrown away so easily. Carefully, he thought of Isidor's words.

_Killing us one by one...not even asking if anything's true...the government wanted a reason to overthrow us simply because we have a Titan? The Wall Occultists at Eren's trial were highly disagreeing with us...and they've been the ones authorized to hold interrogations. Maybe they had more pull with the King._ He clenched the documents. _It doesn't matter who did what, the military has issued my own execution...why aren't these two killing me now?_

"Yes, I'm having Fritz Gervas situating troops near the Wall, by midnight they should be up," Mike finally answered, he placed down the papers by Isidor on the desk. "In all due respects, Commander, why are you informing me of this? Why hadn't it been Rivaille?"

"The man is deviant, no pun intended," Erwin began,"he would have figured out something's amiss the moment I gave him an order to kill Hanji Zoe. No doubt that he's gone into hiding after what I told him last night." He went to go sit on his chair. "Petra's gone missing as well, I've sent for her and yet she never comes."

Isidor had tipped the cup high so that the bottom danced in the air. He let out a disappointed sigh and then his servant immediately came to refill his glass. Smiling at the more vine he was given, he reasoned,"Perhaps this Pal girl fled with Rivaille." His eyes flickered over to Mike. "I arrived here in the Karanese around noon and I saw your men rushing about in random directions, almost like you're leading them to different places. Pray tell, are you averting them from a specific location on purpose? Obviously you hadn't yielded anything more than a soldier of the MP going missing."

Mike gave a near scowl. He tried to make his movements less obvious but the man seemed smarter than the apparent drunk persona he portrays. Bitterly, he responded,"I'm just following my nose."

Isidor let out a chuckle and then sighed as if reminiscing over a fond memory. Erwin gave a quiet hum as he was thrown into a deep consternation.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

Mike cleared his throat. "On whose side are you on?"

"I only give the order, but...I wouldn't blame you if you've taken to hiding the locations of those trainees who have fled," he confessed heavily,"you've done that, haven't you?"

Reluctantly, Mike gave a slow nod and admitted,"Yes."

"You heard this from the horse's mouth. Having Scouts chase after Scouts, of course they would produce the results the government wouldn't want."

Isidor broke in with a chortle,"Whoever you had taken into hiding must leave the city soon. There's another reason why I'm here in person rather than having a messenger come. I'm to return to my own district of Hermiha after three days, only then will the Gates of Wall Rose open into the inner territory. By that chance, whoever you have hiding should take it and escape." He brought a finger to poke Mike's nose playfully. "How this will all play out for the surviving Scouts is on their own judgement."

"You couldn't have sent us away earlier?" Mike countered, highly irate that he had been chosen to operate an entire search party without knowing there was a way out.

"It would have made the government uncomfortable," the drunk shrugged,"also, with all these soldiers running around with less guards, it makes Yaeger less protected in his cell. I mean...what are a couple of poorly armed occultist freaks going to do should the boy manage to break free of his cell?"

"What are you getting at?"

"He's saying that we should release Eren on our own terms, not the government's," Erwin translated. "Rather than fleeing for the hills for our lives, we could turn Eren against them all, make them remember how much the Recon Corps is a needed asset to the military. While we barely have anyone left to call this a Legion, it's still something to show importance. I intend to remind them what we do and make the King regret disbanding us."

Mike let out a long, drawn out breath. It gave him comfort to know that Erwin never had, at all, any malicious intent towards his men. He was simply acting on order from a government holding a gun to his back. Better to sacrifice few to save more. But there was barely anyone left. Throughout the day, Mike's search parties of two dozen Scouts had been reduced to only a dozen.

As he stood there, lost in his thoughts, he was pulled out of it when he saw Erwin head to the bookshelf on the far side of the room. Isidor stayed on the desk unmoving, but his glass following Erwin's direction. The Commander made a gesture for Mike to draw near, so he did. His hands reached up to a black book and pulled it back.

The sound of gears shifting echoed behind an ancient mechanism that groaned from years of little use. Seconds later, the bookshelf pressed into the wall and then slid to the side to reveal an unused passage.

"The guard will follow you when you leave this room," Erwin noted,"instead, go through here and you'll find a trapdoor around the corner; open it. The stable is just underneath it at the bottom of a ladder. Go to wherever the last Scouts are and tell them that they have two days before the Gates open."

Mike stepped in without question, but he turned, telling him in a relieved voice,"It brings me reassurance that you aren't heartless."

Erwin gave him a somber smile before the hidden entrance concealed the passage. He was left in the silence of darkness but his hands felt the walls, guiding him to where he needed to be. It was only a few steps through the hall until he heard the dreadful crack of a gun.

"Erwin!"

Adrenaline kicked in and he whirled around, his hands fixating on the wooden panels of the bookshelf. Panic struck and he tried to find any lever or latch that can open the door, his efforts were in vain when he heard yelling from the other side. There was only Isidor's recognizable voice amongst the chaos beyond the shelves, but not of the Commander's.


	14. Chapter 14

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

Marquis Isidor von Hermiha.

One could not enter the King's court without seeing poor Isidor drinking from a wine bottle. He was, by far, one of the most loyalest men in the eyes of the King despite his apparent drunkenness. Oddly enough (to Isidor), it pleased Erwin when the man entered the office; he stated,_"You're just the person I need," _despite Isidor, himself, having his own agenda already in mind. With an agreement settled, the man had swiftly taken flight from the window at the sound of the gun and had left under the cover of rain that had just started to conveniently pour.

"You're either very brilliant or very daft, Erwin," he muttered as he stooped over to the grand desk, taking a key that was left atop the papers as he had informed him earlier; he stowed it away.

Isidor stared at at his flintlock as he held it in drunken wonder, then he proceeded to toss it out the open window once the trails of Erwin's vapor had faded away. His servant, quiet and unnerved, watched as a silent witness as the guards came bursting through with swords drawn. They only found Isidor standing by with his faithful servant at his side.

"Marquis!" One exclaimed while the other two examined the body. "Are you alright?"

"Hnm?" He threw a lazy glance at them with his good eye. "Ah, the tracking dog -Zacharias was it? - killed the Commander. Fled using his Gear, went out the window, sick bastard even took the body."

Shouting came about as one of the guards urged him to leave, stating that safety was an issue. Isidor blatantly ignored the earnest pleas and demanded,"There's a killer on the loose and you wish to bitch about my well-being? Goodness, what lousy folk you are to let this slip by!" He threw his glass at the wall and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, the piercing shatter made the nearest recruit wince. "Go after him."

"But sir- the rain-"

"A killer is out and he's committed treason, let alone, it's a Scout!" He snapped, booze leaked from his mouth to make the soldier squirm uncomfortably. "Move!"

Isidor and his servant briskly strode out of the office as several other men from the hallway who had heard the shot came running passed him. He stuck into the shadows to avoid unnecessary questioning as he and his servant traversed through the corridors and stairwells until they emerged into the grand hall that headed for the basement where Erwin had disclosed the location of Eren.

Few men and too few guards, most were out in the city searching for the escapees. Alarms rose when that nuisance of an occultist priest came screaming about two prisoners going missing that morning, thus lessening the need to attend to those in cells. No matter, most were dead anyway from the massive interrogation process in the basements.

He let out a hum as he relaxed and went down the stairs for the lower levels of the building.

"You don't suppose she's alive, hm?" Isidor asked casually to the servant as they passed one of the laboratories; out of curiosity, he took a moment to peer inside, he saw various bottles and cylinders holding chemicals. On the ground was a test tube that had broke, dried blood stained the stone floor. A pocketbook was siting on a table nearby, his hand took it out of wonder and pocketed it into his coat. He moved on.

The poor servant was dressed with a fraction of the elegance Isidor had. Sporting a vest over his shirt and finely ordered slacks that had a shirt tucked within, the servant could offer no words. His tongue was, for Isidor's preferences, sliced off for political purposes. All that he could offer as an agreeable sound that told the nobleman took as "Perhaps she is".

"No bodies at the cremating grounds seem to hold any close resemblance either," he murmured more to himself,"and that Corporal was reported to not bring one."

They continued on, going down another flight of stairs and then ended up at the bottom most hall. The bright light provided by the flames of torches revealed a bent figure attempting to work at the lock of an iron barred door. Isidore silently signaled for his servant to wait, then stealthily approached.

"Jean! Someone's coming!" The occupant of the cell hissed in warning once Isidor had accidentally came too close. The apparent lock-picker sprang to his feet to face the Marquis, a sword was drawn at the sight of him.

"Shit," the person cursed out. In response, Isidor reached into his pocket and produced the key to the cell, it prompted for Jean Kirstein to lower his blade. "Who the hell are you?"

"Relax, I'm only here to get Yaeger out," Isidor drawled between his vine stained lips, he even held his hands up,"besides, boy, with the amount of things going on up there, I doubt you'd be wanting to point that blade at me...me of all people. Now, lower the blade some more." He gave a friendly smile, trying to convince the young Scout to stand down. "C'mon...I'm a damn Marquis, do as I say!"

Jean apprehensively stood aside. He glowered as Isidor approached the cell.

Within it, the fabled Titan-shifter Eren Yaeger stood on the other side. He was outfitted in his uniform and even his harness, though there was a stench coming from him telling the nobleman that he hadn't bathed in quite a while. Isidor brought both hands against the door and propped himself, his head resting against one bar as he smoothly spoke,"Goodness, you're just as the rumors say...mad looking and all, though I half-expected you to look savage."

Eren said nothing as he backed away from the bars, the smell of booze was probably irking him away.

"Hm, well, I have a proposal for you, boy. The Recon Corps is falling to pieces and a few of your fellow comrades are hiding in the city. In my hand, I hold a key-" He fiddled with the metal piece in his fingers. "-that opens this very door. I'll open this door if you can do something for me...something very, very important, so important that the good Commander gave his life for."

"He's dead!?" Jean exclaimed in disbelief. "They've decided to go after superiors?!"

"You need to let me out!" Eren shouted, this time going up to Isidor's face and grasping at the bars beside him. Isidor waved one finger and clicked his tongue. "There are people dying and-"

"And since when did a Titan care about the dead and dying?"

Eren's lips twitched in annoyance, his hand shot out towards him and tried to reach for the key, but Isidor nimbly pulled his whole body away from the bars. He leered at him, as did Jean, who responded,"Marquis or not, I could probably care less if I kill you, I'm already wanted." He neared Isidor with his blade drawn, the tip was pointed at the taller man's throat. "All those years in hell, training to have a better life, all that work, wasted. I could give less a damn about authorities nowadays."

"Well, I'm giving you, and Yaeger here, a chance to get back at the military..."

"I don't want to destroy the military with my powers, I just want to get to my friends," Eren spat bitterly.

Jean muttered something in agreement as Isidor smiled warmly.

"Interesting, a cliched desire but no matter. Let me restate my proposal-"

"You didn't even say it."

"-for you to understand," Isidor slyly stated. "I'll let you go...in turn, you are to cause a distraction in this city so that your precious friends can get away. You see, I made special arrangements that in three days, at 1600, the Gates of Wall Rose will open for the inner territories. In that time, the surviving Scouts of the Recon Corps will flee with me as you wreck havoc."

"Then what happens afterwards?" Jean questioned, voice sharp.

"What happens after is up to Yaeger. The survivors leave but the rest is in his own hands, I cannot assist you more than what I'm doing now..."

A pause.

"Well? Do you agree?" He smiled, offering a hand to him.

Eren, without taking a second to think, immediately reached out to take it.

-...-

A flash of lightning illuminated her sights for a brief second. Thunder rolled in from above, making the tavern floor quake. The ceaseless pitter-patter of rain struck the windows.

Petra, disrupted in her sleep by the mighty clashing, decided to head down to the first floor of the Flora. Candles were doused after midnight, thus forcing her to bring a candle as she traversed cautiously down the steps. With every sixth, barefooted step she took, the roar of the sky creaked with the wood. As a child, she feared the horrid sound but, as an adult, she embraced it more than the gruesome cry of a Titan.

Her hand pressed against the wall to feel the vibrations that lasted a moment when she reached the bottom of the stairs. The pads of her feet scuffed against the wooden panels, her small flame grew useless when the light merged with the stronger source from the fireplace; its own flame was dying but a figure tossed a dry log to it, fueling it to burn on.

Another log, then a third.

She found that a clothes line was strung near the fire. A dress hung by, partially dry, she found the attendant to be Rivaille. Next to him, sitting in a chair with her legs curled to her chest, was Hanji; a blanket was covering her body. Upon seeing them, Petra blew out her candle and used the cover of darkness to listen to their hushed voices.

"...her name is Ymir," she picked up from Rivaille. He was squatting by the fire, his arm holding the steel poker to direct the log.

"Really? Ilse Langer mentioned a Titan saying that name," Hanji mused. "To think anyone could live beyond the-"

Her voice faded when thunder boomed overhead.

"-now she's here, with us. If only we were back at headquarters, I could do a background check on her."

"Better to ask her in the morning," Rivaille told her, getting up and then sitting on a chair next to her. She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder as her hands shuffled under the blanket to pull it closer against her body. Petra shivered as the cold darkness huddled around her through the thin cloth of her dress, she hugged the wall in turn.

Hanji let out a tired yawn. "Alright...she's upstairs sleeping, she just finished up Annie a while ago. I think the kids crowded themselves in Mikasa's room. Tobias gave them extra blankets and pillows."

"Did you talk to him about the payment?"

"Not yet...I will in the morning."

It grew quiet every so often. Between the intervals of silence came thunder, their conversation drifted about though Hanji began to sound more tired by the minute. They must have decided to sleep in the tavern bar as Petra had occupied Hanji's bed.

"...it was liberating," Hanji suddenly began.

"What was?"

She sat up straight as he gave her a perplexed stare. "Tearing apart Annie's limb. I was so awestruck by it when I held-"

"When I told you that I've decapitated people, I never told you it was for fun, neither do I take pleasure in it," he deadpanned her,"so please, just don't tell me how you felt. What were the results?"

Hanji whined. "Oh, alright. The result was...well, unlike Titans, she screamed in pain. On another note, her leg, her right leg, it was heavy, just as a human's. It had the same weight as ours so...I can take a stab at it and say that their powers have to do with blood. Sure, their flesh mends itself with extraordinary healing abilities, but...perhaps their arteries and blood vessels-"

Her hands went to habitually push up the glasses that normally sat on the bridge of her nose but she found that her spectacles were gone. Only now did Petra notice it. _Isn't the woman blind as a bat?_

She rambled on, her voice once again drowned away by the weather.

Petra found herself drifting away into sleep, her head resting against the wall.

"...you have a week to do as you please."

"Yeah, but there's so many factors. I want to know more about her ability to Regenerate. Despite her being in a human form, there could be a myriad of ways that can affect her rate of regrowing limbs and mending wounds. Is she affected by the amount of sunlight? Does she need nutrients? What about water?"

"...she's not a fucking plant."

Hanji softly laughed. "Well, how about her stamina? One could grow fatigued...if I push her too far, she would end up not Regenerating."

"What about her limbs? Do they evaporate?"

"No, unlike the bodies of Titans, hers are still solid objects."

Rivaille let out a small grunt. "You might have to get rid of them before Tobias finds them."

"I'd actually like to take it with us."

"...that's fucking disgusting, I'm not bringing body parts when we leave the city. You're out of a job of researching Titans, you've got to stop at one point."

Hanji rested her head against his shoulder while contentedly saying,"Nope, never going to. Maybe I'll finish my book with Annie as my crowning achievement..."

"Speaking of Annie, you let Ymir do the rest of the work?"

"The girl was waving a gun and was aching to shoot her, she was originally her hostage, I thought it'd be alright," Hanji reasoned, Rivaille gave an exasperated sigh.

"See? This is why you can't be a mother."

She chuckled.

Petra felt a pang of jealousy, she perked up at the bitter feeling. To be able to jokingly state about being a mother, disregarding the negative connotations offered by Rivaille, showed their closeness. It was something she wished for, particularly from Rivaille. It would be a painful reminder to her and yet, despite her harbored, unrequited emotions, she remained loyal to him.

Her thoughts were pulled away when a startling knock came from the main door during the sudden silence that befell them. Hanji pulled the blanket closer to her body as Rivaille got up to check on the door. One hand went to the knob, the other went to the holster that carried his flintlock. In one, swift motion, he flung open the door and aimed the barrel at the hulking form that stood over him.

"Corporal, it's me," the voice of the shadowy figure proclaimed.

Lighting illuminated the outside world to reveal and soaking Mike.

He stepped in, pulling his Recon cloak away from his shoulders while closing the door; the latch clicked into place. Rivaille took a hold of the cloak and then hung it by the clothes line as Hanji stood up and tossed her blanket over Mike's shoulders to warm him up. She revealed that she was wearing a simple, brown, long-sleeved dress that fitted her figure well.

"Petra's alive, right?" Mike first questioned, little did he know that the woman was nearby.

"Yeah, she's upstairs sleeping in my bed. Tobias didn't give us Room 1 and the kids are in Room 2," Hanji answered as she led him to her chair. Rivaille went to the bar to fetch a bottle of vine and a mug. "Goodness, you look pale, were you followed?"

Mike shook his head as he huffed,"Nah, I took a horse from the stables and left during the chaos..." He shuddered, Hanji was busy kneeling by and removing his Gear. "...thanks."

Rivaille pulled a stool out and sat upon it after handing Mike a mug. He proceeded to pour him a half mug of vine, then he placed the bottle on the floor. There was a feeling of of dread, something was amiss the moment Mike walked in. It was time for Petra to come up from the shadows; she revealed herself and gave them the false pretense that she had recently got there.

Mike heartily drank from his mug as Petra neared them, rubbing her eyes while yawning sleepily,"I heard the door..."

Naturally, she went to him and gave him an embrace. He didn't respond and, instead, chose to give attention to his mug of vine. She withdrew to sit on the floor when she saw his head tip back to get the last of it. He held the mug out for Rivaille as he wiped the last few drops, the mug was refilled.

"Another?" He requested.

"Did something happen back at headquarters?" Hanji nervously asked when she took off both sheathes. He bent forward and she lifted the blanket to remove the fan system. The entire set laid nearby while he tipped his head back for the second time.

He finished his mug once more, then slammed it against the table, a signal for Rivaille to cease his refills; the bottle was settled by Petra's thigh. Thunder boomed outside, his voice followed promptly,"I think...Commander Erwin Smith is dead."

Petra propped up to sit though she felt her body grow incredibly weak, she even shook when the unbelievable words came from Mike's mouth. Her blood ran cold and her mind, well, she could hardly process the news. Not even the fire that warmed her back could ever relieve her of the chill that ran down her spine. That sense of dread had blossomed into grief.

She heard Hanji gasp in shock with her hands pressed over her mouth. She saw Rivaille's jaw and mouth visibly drop. She felt Mike's voice tremble at saying the his next piece.

"You.._.think_?" Rivaille let out slowly, the first two words just settling in.

"Think, yeah, think," Mike responded. He began to recount the events. "I was with Erwin at the time. He...told me about some plan he and the Marquis of Hermiha were doing. At the end of it, he escorted me to a hidden passageway and once I wen through, he closed it. I heard a gunshot from the other side. The guards came in yelling but I didn't hear Erwin..."

"You don't know what happened?" Hanji urged, she was obviously holding back tears. Petra, on the other hand, couldn't hold it; she was wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"Not exactly...the Marquis was the only other person there, so I think he did it."

Hanji murmured,"Since when were nobles sanctioned to carry on military duties? That's strange on its own..."

Mike shook his head. "He was at Erwin's office to deliver documents, last files regarding the next target. Petra...Rivaille, your deaths have been sanctioned, as has mine, consider us no longer a part of the military...just as you predicted..."

Rivaille offered no comment to this, but instead averted the topic, asking heavily,"What were Erwin and the Marquis planning?"

Licking his lips to moisten them, he noticed Petra. He offered his hand to her and she clambered over to him as she began to weep against the blanket. Her smaller form easily fitted onto his lap without having him to shift around. Water from his pants soaked onto her dress but she cared less, his hand stroked her back as he held her.

After a moment of silence, Mike picked up again, saying,"He was planning on releasing Eren against the military, a last ditch effort to show that the Recon Corps is not meant to be disposed of. It's...a complicated thing, I'd rather not say it just yet. In front of the kids, I'll say, they'll have to know, I don't want to repeat myself." They each gave a nod. "...but the Marquis, he's on our side.

"Since this noon, my second-in-command for the Military Police Units, Fritz Gervas has closed the back Gate of Wall Rose, rendering it impossible to leave. If you try to use a Gear, the Garrison will snipe you down. The Marquis is only staying in the Karanese for seventy-two hours, after that, he leaves for the Hermiha at 1600. Only when he departs will the Gates open for him and, hopefully, his entourage."

Rivaille spoke up,"Eren will most likely be used as a distraction to keep the military from coming after us. However, we already have another Titan-shifter in our disposal, we were thinking the same thing."

Mike's eyes flew open at this as a flash came from the outside. "F-for real?"

"Yes, she's downstairs too, though I'm not sure if limbless women are your type."

"We can't leave in three days," Hanji broke in,"Mikasa needs to rest. She can't be moved too much or else her stitches will undo, she was injured this morning."

"I left the wagon in the alley, in case you've forgotten," Mike pointed out,"we can transport her on that. We'll be a bit slower, but with the more distractions and help from the others-"

"-the higher the chances of all of us getting out of here," Rivaille finished. He got up to the table where Hanji had left the map of the city on one of the tables. He spread it across the floor. "You didn't get the location of Eren?"

Mike shook his head as Petra slid off of his lap to sink to the floor by Hanji. Her hands shakily reached out for the bottle of vine.

"I said I was going to drink to them," she explained herself,"to everyone."

They watched her as she brought the bottom up to drink. After her share, Hanji's hand reached out and took it to have several gulps. In turn, she offered it to Rivaille. The man never seemed to be the kind to drink, he was rarely seen with the delicacy of crushed grapes. He had only a taste of it before passing it to Mike. They went through the round once again before the bottle was returned to Mike once more; he placed it to the ground when he found it empty.

"Go get more," Mike told to someone, when none moved, he pressed on,"go, either of you!"

Hanji got up to get the alcohol in his stead. She returned with four bottles, one for each, and handed them the drinks. Mugs weren't given, she felt that they didn't need it. Mike got out of his chair and sat between Rivaille and Petra as he uncorked his bottle. The rest did as well so when they had opened their vines, they noisily clinked the necks of the glass in a lazy toast.

Mike stared contemplatively at the neck of his bottle, his fingers grasping the green glass. Distantly, he told them all,"We lost our good names, our friends, our home, all because of their fears. We're unfettered by our burdens as soldiers now, yet we no longer bear the Wings of Freedom."

Hanji let out a hum of agreement, then murmured,"Rivaille, I know you frown at the drink but I think it's appropriate right now."

"You're all relieved to do so then," he dryly said before bringing the bottle to his lips.

They sat there by the fire, silently drinking to the sound of thunder.

Petra leaned against the leg of a table as she saw Hanji suddenly scoot close to Rivaille. The man took notice of her and tried to ask for personal space, but, in the blink of an eye, she stole a chaste kiss from his lips. Petra felt the tinge of jealousy overwhelm her more than the drink or pain of hearing the news.

"Rivaille," she dragged out in a sultry voice, showing that the vine had intoxicated her. Her hand went to his arm to grasp him. He had a regretful look in his eyes but he quickly downed a large amount of vine and got up, Hanji followed him as she shakily got to her feet. They disappeared when they ascended the stairs. She heard a heavy sigh from Mike and she turned to face him.

"I suppose I know where her interests lie, now," he uttered. He took another swig from his vine. He settled the bottle nearby as she stared. "What's with the look?"

She knew, just as much as he realized Hanji had other preferences, that Rivaille sought someone other than Petra herself. She murmured with a loose tongue,"We both lucked out on them."

Mike scoffed as she climbed into his lap once again, this time, straddling him. He saw her eyes were red from the sudden deluge, her breath smelled of vine, and her scent, it struck him odd that he had taken a great notice of it now. Petra's hands were on his neck, her shorter form prompted him to look down at her. He had to crane his neck to reach her lips. She abruptly turned away before they made contact.

She rested her head against his broad frame, whispering,"Just hold me. When we get out of here alive...maybe...maybe we can..."

"Maybe..." He echoed her quietly, both hands embracing her. "Sounds just about right..."

They realized had one another for insurance, they were content with that.


	15. Chapter 15

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

_He left to fetch supplies, when he came back, he found Hanji curled up on the bed, trembling violently from sobs that were loud enough to be heard. He didn't know what to do, but he approached anyway, taking to the bed and sitting down._

_"Hanji..."_

_Rivaille picked her up, bringing her to his lap to hold her. She wrapped her arms around him and brought her face to his chest. She uncontrollably wept, just as she had done when she was thirteen and left in the room underground. It had come back to her, sending her into a world of nightmares she had tried to escape from._

_She let out words, broken ones, as she cried. "I'm scared..."_

_Rivaille looked down at her shaking form. He had grown to care for her, unbeknownst to her, and had never confessed just as she hadn't done to him._

_"I'm really scared...Mr. Rivaille, please...just kill me."_

_His eyes widened at her words._

_He brought her up and face-to-face. Though she was teary eyed, he considered her beautiful enough. She looked at him in confusion with those hollow eyes; her glasses were on the dresser nearby._

-...-

"Hnm..."

His eyes tried to adjust to the dim light. The first sight he saw were a pair of glasses sitting on the bedside table.

A warm body was pressed against his back with arms wrapping around his torso, holding him in an embrace. He shifted around to see who was clinging to him.

He found the sight of bare flesh; the neck of a woman. Brow lifting up, his eyes drifted to a neck that had a few bruises here and there.

_Don't tell me..._

Finally, he saw her face. Hanji was dead asleep, her head heavily resting on the pillow as she breathed softly against him. When she felt him move, she brought him closer, her legs languidly entwining with his under the blanket. His head ached horribly, throbbing like a horse had kicked him. Groaning, he tried to move once more, but she only held to him tighter.

Wearily, he reached out to drape his hand over the curve of her waist, thumb absentmindedly tracing a scar he felt. Taking deep breaths, he tried to cope with the pain that the unwelcome hangover had decided to wrought upon him. His mind spun just a bit, forcing him to close his eyes and murmur,"I hate drinking..."

_She sighed contentedly against his lips as she stumbled on to the bed, taking him down with her. Her hands poorly coordinating themselves to undo the buttons to his shirt. Her own dress had already been pulled over and off, leaving her in her undergarments though he roughly removed them to feel her heated skin._

_"Good lord, I...I been..been hot since this afternoon," she slurred as he nipped at her collarbone. She seethed when his teeth suddenly bit into the skin of her throat. He felt her hands at the buttons of his slacks. With clumsy fingers, she undid everything, he slid the rest off. "At furst I didn't know what...what ta think about cutting her...her leg off. I mean, a human...humans are different, but after thinking for, I found it entertaining-"_

_"I thought I said for you-" He impatiently shoved two digits into her, causing her to cry out at the sudden intrusion. "-not to tell me how you felt, you sick fuck."_

_"Ah! I-I'll stop..."_

_Without asking if she was in pain, he pumped his fingers in and out of her, drawing out the distinct scent of her sex. Her hand went his wrist to pull his hand away, it was a sign to stop teasing. She blatantly told him she wanted him, or was it the alcohol talking?_

He couldn't remember exactly what led to this but he obliged to take her up on the request.

_Languidly, he repeatedly thrust into her. The bed creaked under their movements, the frame thudded against the wall, the room resonated with her panting and moaning. Her hands ran along his back, her whimpers encouraged him to pick up the pace as he loomed over her. With her legs locked around his waist, he found himself going deeper as she began to close around him._

_She was keening, getting close to the edge-  
_

"Ugh...my head..."

He cracked open one eye to see her.

She gave another groggy groan as she loosened one arm around him to bring a hand to her head. She had just woken up and was feeling the aftereffects of the vine. When she opened her own eyes to see him, she forced a smile out and gave a lighthearted chuckle,"Had fun?" But the smile faded and she withdrew from him altogether, turning to face away from. "Nnnngh...forget I asked..."

It was his turn to hold her. He shifted his body a bit higher up the bed, positioning his nude form against her own. The back of her head rested under his chin, he murmured in agreement,"It was fun..."

"We should do it sober next time," she managed to say.

He didn't comment.

It grew quiet for a while.

An uninvited knock came from the door after an hour.

"What?" They both grumbled.

"There's medicine on the floor here," came Tobias's voice,"I've already served breakfast downstairs."

-...-

Glass clinked to one another as they ate.

Mike easily downed the odious, home-made remedy Tobias claimed to have made. Petra, being the smallest, had vanished to the restroom to vomit, thus leaving Mike alone to be discovered by the younger Scouts when they had gotten downstairs.

It was an awkward meeting to find him laying across the table with a blanket covering half his body while his arm cradled an empty vine bottle. But upon explaining his being, along with Ymir and Bertolt confirming him to be a friend rather than foe, they accepted him as Tobias prepared their meals. Somewhere along the way, he carefully sniffed each person, thus, officially creeping people out.

Just in the middle of it, during their feast, Rivaille and Hanji emerged from the stairs with the woman holding the small bottle containing the last of the concoction. Mike's eyes followed Rivaille, he gave a near frown but drowned it away by a mug of water.

To address them, Ymir loudly said,"Too bad the walls are thin, I heard so much that I couldn't sleep last night."

"Storms don't call out names," Reiner added.

The two broke into laughter as Christa chided them,"You guys!"

"What?" Ymir smirked. "They were pretty loud, though not as loud as you-"

"Seriously!? Really!?"

Rivaille took his seat at the head of the table. Sasha placed a plate in front of him, along with some utensils. He offered no comment but glared, prompting them all to cease their snide remarks.

Hanji sat at the bar as all the seats were occupied. The medicine had taken affect on her, the strident noise from the chatter had become bearable, as did the sunlight that came after the stormy night.

"What was in the concoction you gave us?" Hanji inquired.

"Just some flowers," Tobias meekly told her as he set out the drinks onto a tray. He made a whistle and Sasha immediately came to him with Weiss bounding by her feet. The brunette took the tray and began to serve everyone. "It's a family secret."

She had noticed his sudden change in posture, his movements were bit more animated, and a new tone came to his voice. She leaned against the counter and gave him a half-smile while she bluntly stated,"That girl is only sixteen," when she noticed his eyes were following her.

"She looks like Maike," he, for the first time, cheerily said, his hands busily wiping down the counter. Rivaille had certainly did a phenomenal job in cleaning the tavern, the growing habit of wiping down the counter was an insurance that Tobias would try to keep the place clean. Every so often, as he ran the rag across the surface, she could see the horrid stitches going up to his forearm.

Getting too close, she grabbed it and forced the sleeve down. "What happened here?"

The gnarled markings of what appeared to be a knife that had down down his skin gleamed. He tried to pull away but she held him in place, not releasing him until he said something. Sighing, he grudgingly told her,"During the break-in, one of the assailants had a knife. Cleanly tore through me. I had to stitch myself up, it was no problem considering I panicked more for my daughter than for myself."

She relinquished her grip. After rolling down his sleeve, he leaned against the counter, arms propping himself as she drifted into another topic,"Are you still going to charge us?"

Tobias shamefully lowered his head a bit so that his hair covered his sight of her. "I won't...I apologize for that, Zoe. It's just...I am a business man, I was a husband and father but I lost those parts, just having customers not paying and expecting hospitality after what I lost..." He tried to find the right words. "...I feel entitled to something." He looked up and his eyes were drawn to Sasha as she approached with the empty tray. "But I'm at fault here for losing my temper back there."

Sasha placed the tray on the counter, then scratched her nose while asking,"Hey, Tobias, when's the rest going to be ready? Armin's upstairs, he doesn't want to come down yet."

"It's ready, I'm still boiling more things though," he replied, she left it at that and went off. When Tobias turned his head to look at Hanji, she saw the girl stealthily sneak through the kitchen door.

"And your change of heart comes from the girl?" Hanji said, trying to not crack a smile.

"Legally, she's family. In a way, I've been detrimental to some. One; to you since I lost you as a boy. Two; to Sasha and her village as I had unknowingly taken Edith in. I plan to donate goods and supplies to Dauper Village once you guys leave, an apology on good faith for what I've-"

A startling crash and a loud bang came from the kitchen, causing everyone to pause and look towards the door.

"You were saying?" Hanji chuckled.

"Ah, nothing, just consider it a change of heart," he warmly told her.

"Hm'k...what about ratting us out? Was that a flare of emotion as well?"

"Yeah, that too...my greatest apologies for that, but the walls are thin and you can hear conversations...and other things," he pointed out with a wink, she scowled at him. He straightened himself and flung the rag over his shoulder. "I wonder what she did this time...Maike used to do the same thing," he mused as he disappeared into the kitchen, chortling heartily,"This is why women aren't allowed in the kitchen."

Hanji got down from her stool. The headache had ebbed away, she decided it was time to eat for herself. Petra emerged from the restroom, her face a tad bit green. Still holding the strange concoction, Hanji handed it to her.

"It'll cure your hangover," she said, Petra gave a nod and drank the last of it,"you alright?"

"Just dizzy," Petra muttered, taking a seat at an empty table. Sasha emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food. Just as she was heading up the stairs, Rivaille called to her; she approached, listened, nodded, and went to the stairs again, disappearing from sight. In turn, Hanji set off to get them their own meals.

The morning conversation drifted about, though it was broken into pairs. Bertolt and Reiner were, once again, as Rivaille took notice, speaking in low tones, just like yesterday. He kept his eyes trained on them, even as they seemed to reach some form of disagreement.

"Is there something wrong?" Rivaille said to them, they grew quiet as they looked at him. They gave each other uneasy stares, though Bertolt gave a curt nod.

Bertolt cleared his throat, their attention was drawn to the. At this, the blond man began,"Bertolt and I...we decided that we will be going to our home village. It's in Titan territory, but we wish to return there."

"For whatever reason is there behind your madness?" Ymir questioned as she lowered her mug. "These people risked their hides to get you, it's enough as it is, you can doubt that they'll be helping you get there."

"Then we die trying," Reiner simply told her as though it were the easiest thing in the world. "Each of us concluded we'd be going our separate ways from here on out, starting from this morning."

Hanji perked up at this, remembering Mike's words. "You guys can't go now, even if you tried."

"The Walls are heavily guarded by snipers from the Garrison, so forget about trying to use a Gear," Mike began,"and your faces are probably on every Wanted poster by now, citizens ought to be wary. Especially after you two-" He indicated to Ymir and Bertolt. "-escaped from prison, it caused quite the alarm."

"We thought of leaving with you guys if you're planning on going," Bertolt said.

"The more hands we have, the better, we plan on going in three days time," Rivaille announced,"and we plan on taking Mikasa with us, she still needs the medical attention that Hanji is providing for her."

Reiner inputted,"Then we split off from there." He had a mug of coffee at hand, he drank it slowly. "What happens after is our own-" He accentuated it towards Ymir. "-problem."

She gave an obnoxious "tch" and sipped her own coffee once more. Christa offered her own voice,"We can flee with you, Corporal-"

"We will go with the Corporal, but we will leave for Christa's safety when needed. I will admit that I'm not familiar with this area, only knowing as far as training and the Recon Corps has taken me," Ymir admitted, head lowering a bit.

"Armin would most likely stay with Mikasa," Reiner added, speaking for the two upstairs.

"Sasha said she's planning to return to Dauper Village," Christa spoke, going uninterrupted by Ymir.

Mike's mug thudded on the table, it brought them to an abrupt halt. He gave a few coughs so that their eyes shifted to him. With a heavy voice, he told them."It's good to have plans of where you wish to go, but for now, you have to get out of here first. Clear the table, Hanji, get the map, it's still on the floor..."

As they had finished their meals, they complied and cleaned up after themselves, clearing the table free of plates and bringing them to the kitchen; they returned a few minutes to surround Mike as he sat, Hanji had brought the map and laid it out for them. Mike pointed at the Inner Gate of Wall Rose, then ran his finger down the main road.

"In three days, at 1600, the Marquis will be leaving to return to the Hermiha District. Only then will the Gate open for him to pass through. We're going to take that chance and leave with him. Elsewhere, Eren will hopefully create a distraction to draw away attention from us," Mike relayed to them.

"Yeah, but we have Annie underneath us, she's a Titan-shifter too," Ymir told them, pointing at the ground,"you could use her instead of having Eren risk his hide for us."

Rivaille gave a small nod, taking into consideration of being told Ymir's idea for the second time. "She's from the MP, it'll cause a riot, something that will steer the attention from us. The issue is, we hadn't learned the location of Eren, he's out of the question of retrieval..." They gave a downcast look for a moment, though Ymir seemed uninterested overall. "...regardless, we will be leaving. I want each of us to split into three groups..."

-...-

Sasha settled the tray on the desk behind Armin.

Weiss gave a yawn and curled up in one of the blankets settled onto the ground.

The blond teenager sat by Mikasa, unmoving from his spot. He had been like this since yesterday afternoon, his body stiff as a sentry. Sasha, with her own grief to bear, tried to push it aside as she told him,"I brought you food..."

"Thanks," he replied. She pulled a chair from the desk and used it to sit by him. Her arm draped over his shoulder to give him reassurance. "...Eren's not here, Mikasa's injured...I'm just, I don't know what to do. It's enough to worry for one, it's another to be scared for the other."

Sasha's brow furrowed as her mind traced back to Connie. She tried to shake the thought away, telling him,"I'm sure Corporal will get him back for you."

"He can't, there's a reason why he's hiding here and not at the base. Don't you know? Hanji is supposed to be dead, Rivaille is here, she's alive; he could be accounted for treason because he let her live," he lamely said. She looked down at his lap to see that he was fondling with Mikasa's red scarf. "It's impossible to get to headquarters, especially now that they have reinforcements here. Most likely, they'll be occupying our headquarters."

He held to Mikasa's hand.

"She was too stubborn, she panicked and tried to leave yesterday morning. I...I had to to subdue her, I can't live with the fact that I did this," Armin struggled to get out, he was choking on his own words, Sasha brought him close, pulling him into an embrace,"I could have killed her..." He began to sob openly, his tears cascading upon his boyish cheeks. "Sasha..."

She tried to quiet him as Weiss suddenly got up to lay his head against Armin's lap, softly whining.

A disgruntled groan came from the bed's occupant, bringing Armin to silence. The three of them looked over as a pained voice spoke out,"...Eren..."

-...-

"I'll provide cover," Tobias broke in when he emerged from his holding in the kitchen, much to everyone's surprise. "I have to send provisions to Dauper Village...under these circumstances, now is the only time I can do it. Fill the wagon with supplies, hide the injured among the crates, you can all slip by. Besides, the Marquis of Hermiha is said to have an interest in wine, I could provide that as well."

Mike gave a relieved sigh. "That helps us greatly. And since you're just a citizen, it should be easy for us to sneak Ackerman out."

He gave the man a hand to shake in agreement.

With their roles given and then reassigned, each person headed for the storage rooms and kitchen under Tobias's direction to fetch supplies. Only when Reiner and Bertolt reached the cellar door did Hanji nearly shout her warning,"No, wait! That's where I hold Annie!" Reiner's hand paused at the door, still holding knob as she rushed behind to bar to meet them. "You guys can stand a couple limbs missing right?"

Reiner was about to offer an answer but then Sasha popped down from the stairs, saying breathlessly,"Hanji! Mikasa's come to!"

She didn't even give a moment for Reiner to speak as she rushed away, following Sasha up the stairs.

Bertolt shared at glance with Reiner, then nodded for him to open the door to the cellar. As they disappeared into the dimness of the stairwell, Ymir emerged from the kitchen, carrying a crate of bottles; she had taken notice of them and decided to settle the crate on the counter. Looking around to find the tavern empty, save for Petra who was still sitting by, nursing her hangover as she had taken the medicine last, Ymir decided to enter the cellar as well.


	16. Chapter 16

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N:** I noticed the sudden demand for a continuation of "Change of Gait", a oneshot I've written as a Fill for the SnK Kink forum. I'm contemplating on it but at the same time, I'm focusing on this story. If I feel up to it, I'll try to write another chapter for it due to its demands~

Leave a review here~

* * *

Ymir waited for their steps to fade away, then she continued down the spiraling staircase. Her bare feet padded against the stone flooring as she clung to the shadows. Her clothes, still unchanged, began to reek of sweat and blood yet she paid no mind; it was only her front that got stained, the grayness of her shirt made it hard to see the crimson liquid. Hands holding the wall, she stopped short of a couple steps to be out of the cellar's torchlight. That was when voices came about.

"...oh god," Bertolt rasped. He sounded like he just fell to his knees, probably in front of Annie.

A feint moan resonated from their hostage as Reiner's feet stepped around. Cloth ripping, Annie took the moment to gasp and breathe with a labored breath.

Ymir had checked on her earlier this morning, made sure that she was missing a limb, and returned in time for breakfast so that the others wouldn't take notice of her absence. Hanji had instructed Ymir to 'take care' of Annie last night before departing, why she would task her with such a gruesome chore bewildered her as she expected the scientist to take the responsibility; Christa was distracted with Mikasa and Armin, thus leaving Ymir to herself.

_Hanji must have been caring for Mikasa so she couldn't have time to dismember Annie._

It wasn't like Ymir had never harmed anyone. She had done so before, and that was out of the necessity to satiate her hunger. The fact that Sasha forced Annie's true power out was enough to attempt to figure out who she was. Before being called for bed, Ymir undid the gag and asked Annie of where she came from, why a Titan like her resided behind the Walls, and anything related to the calamity that had befallen the Recon Corps.

Of course, Annie never uttered anything. Only when asked if she felt pain that she told Ymir to '"fuck off". With every curse she uttered, Ymir set to work in forcing Annie to emanate steam from her body. For the first few hours, she regenerated rather quickly, but soon her rate dropped. Hanji popped by just after dinner, hypothesized that Annie would take longer to regenerate the more she endured the dismemberment.

It had been three hours.

Annie's right leg, the one Ymir had often went for, was still a heap of vapor. Over their voices, Ymir heard the incessant steam reverberated from flesh.

_Why isn't Hanji here to see this? I heard she gets off on this kind of shit..._

"...they plan on using you as a distraction," Reniner's voice came about.

"Not surprised," Annie spoke, hoarse from lack of water and screaming into the cloth. A bottle from one of the shelves was uncorked, her throat feverishly drank from it. Ymir bent low, stooping enough to see just their legs underneath the overhanging wall. From her view, she could see one of Annie's legs, Reiner's, and then the kneeling form of Bertolt; his hands were at the stub of a leg, inspecting the damage. "If Ymir keeps this up, I won't be able to transform at all."

"Ymir's the one doing this?" Bertolt asked, astonished.

"Yeah...payback, she said she'll kill me once, seems like her time is now. Besides, Hanji told her to, she wouldn't pass up on an offer like this," Annie huffed indignantly as Reiner stepped away; a few drops of vine splattered to the ground.

"Considering how many times you kept walking in on her and Christa, I wouldn't blame her," Reiner said,"told you to stop doing it."

Annie gave a 'humph!' as her flesh began to mend. Within seconds, her right leg materialized and became whole once more. Bertolt let out a sigh and stood up, taking the butcher's knife Ymir left earlier and storing it by the handle in his back pocket. When the steam had ceased and the hissing of vapors abated, Reiner strode to the shelf to place the bottle back. "Some Marquis killed the Commander for the Recon Corps, at least, that was what Zacharias told us."

During the middle of tactical planning, Mike recounted the events of last night. It elicited a great wave of despair among them all until Rivaille snapped at them to focus on the task at hand, which was leaving the Karanese. His sudden behavior explained the senior officers' reason for drinking last night, Ymir choked down a laugh as she squatted on the step, they all heard the Corporal fucking the crazy researcher on the other side of their wall.

"They were planning something with Eren, unleashing him in the Karanese. Now's the chance to get him."

Annie shifted around in her chair, the ropes were still bound to her save for her right leg. "Reiner, I just told you, I'm weak. I can't do it right now. By the time you get up there, Ymir or Hanji will be back shortly to cut me up like the butchers they are."

"Everyone's busy with packing," Bertolt explained,"we were actually sent here to fetch some barrels. Thought we'd stop by to check on you."

"Well, it's appreciated. When are you leaving?"

"Three days."

"...what are you going to do about Eren?"

"Your Titan is more nimble than ours; you hold Eren down when we see him, one of us takes him out of the body, Reiner transforms, he smashes through the Outer Gate, we leave after him, then we return home when Titans from the outside distract the soldiers."

"You make it sound easy," Annie murmured, her voice rose,"what about the Gears? My gas tanks are full, I think Sasha stored it in the stable." A pause. "Judging by you, you don't even have Gears to begin with."

Bertolt let out a cough, then he sniffled. Ymir leaned against the wall, a startling crash came from the first floor above, thus drowning a part of their conversation. Only after the ruckus did Ymir catch Reiner saying,"We will stay behind when the Gates close behind our convoy. "

"Since when did you care about them?" Annie bitterly asked.

"Since he had a thing for Christa," Bertolt said with a half-laugh.

"Ymir! Where are you!?" Came the girl's voice from above.

Ymir held back just enough to hear Reiner to continue to tell them,"...once the gates close, we strike out at Eren. Sure, we'll take damage, but it won't matter by that point," from there, she quietly got up and walked back up the stairs.

When she emerged to the surface, she found Christa running by with a bucket and mop at hand. The young girl was frantically trying to clean some spilled vine. Apparently, the crate Ymir left on the counter had fallen; perhaps someone knocked it over, Christa trying to clean it up. Sighing, Ymir went to her, took the mop, and instructed her to take care of the other provisions.

Christa didn't move, her eyes were trained on Ymir's feet. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Hm?" She looked down to find she was stepping on broken glass. The more pressure she placed on one leg, the more blood began to seep and mix with the vine.

-...-

"Eren," Mikasa murmured.

Hanji rushed through the door to find Armin, once again, sitting at Mikasa's bedside. She stumbled over a pillow but caught herself on the bed post. Her hands habitually try to push up the glasses for readjustment, once more, she had forgotten she had lost the use of them. Brushing that fact away, Sasha expectantly stood by, watching.

"Is she moving?" Hanji inquired, voice gentle.

"No, but she keeps saying Eren's name," Armin replied, a sleeve wiping his eyes.

"She must be dreaming then," she surmised, hand going to Mikasa's eye. She stretched on lid open to find the girl's eye rolling up languidly. She checked her vitals and, once confirming there was nothing out of the ordinary, she went for the door but paused to say over her shoulder,"When she starts moving, come get me."

Sasha gave a nod as she breezed by.

Hanji stepped into the hallway to find Rivaille carrying the closed crate of weapons and ammunition. He had stopped short as she blocked his way, she turned to look at him. "Are you going to arm everyone?"

"Naturally, by now, our Gears are useless," he curtly told her,"Hanji, move, I need to pack this to the wagon-"

"Listen, about last night," she cut in jokingly, but she was silenced with a glare. Instead of reacting poorly, out of shame, she gave a half-smile, a small laugh escaping her breath. His frown went deeper, his glare became harder. "Oh, Rivaille, you're such a mood-killer."

She faced the stairs and went down them, the thud of his boots falling closely behind as they descended. "Says the one who wanted to fuck after hearing the Commander is dead. You have no shame, do you?"

"I do, you should as well, you're the one who slept with me," she shot back at him playfully. There was no joke in any of this. In the reality, it was their way of coping, especially after hearing such a news. They tried to hold no love towards one another, but at times, when they needed a reality check, to know if they were still alive, physical contact came into play.

He had his share. She had her own. Yet the attachment in which you'd refer to as 'love' was seemingly absent. Though, for Rivaille, things had taken a different course as of late. Ever since he was asked to kill Hanji, he had taken to valuing her more than he did before. Even as he pinned her down, blades at hand, he couldn't bring himself to kill her.

He realized that he needed her in life. Throughout the years, she had become his way of checking reality. So long as she lived, so long as she was in existence, he knew he was alive. The horrors of war had changed them both, he would have looked back and say he wouldn't remember the man before he entered the military. The same went for her.

They lived on with one another.

Now that he no longer shouldered burdens of the military (a death sentence and years of service wasted away would make one drop its value), he unconsciously decided to open a door that he had mentally looked passed. Last night, despite their drunken throe of passion, it felt different...

His eyes drifted away towards Ymir as she stood motionless behind the bar. Christa was at the end, watching in astonishment. Hanji spoke up,"What're you doing here?"

Ymir suddenly took a step forth. The sickening crushing of glass upon skin reached their ears. The broken bottle and spilled vine near Christa explained the clattering sounds he heard earlier. Rivaille placed the crate of weapons near Petra; her sleeping form was still unmoving. Both he and Hanji approached, trying to see the mess that had happened. Upon turning at the corner, they found white vapor rising from the bottom of Ymir's feet.

"...Ymir, get to the cellar," Hanji instructed, taking the mop for herself and shoving away most of the glass under the counter to clear the way. When she reached Ymir, Bertolt and Reiner emerged from the darkness of the cellar, barrels in hand; they paused at the sight.

The steam was small, very similar to that of a smoker's pipe, but it was alarming enough for them to see. Ymir stepped out of their way, they hesitantly moved by, each standing by Christa.

"I know what this looks like," Ymir began, but Hanji used the pole of the mop to herd her, forcing her to walk backwards until she chose to face forwards for the stairs. Rivaille, trying to process what he had seen, walked over the spilled wine to follow Hanji into the cellar. He glanced over his shoulder to see the three teens watching him movements.

"Both of you, pack those barrels to the cart. Christa, come," he ordered, she immediately came to his heels as Reiner and Bertolt reluctantly complied. Once he made it to the cellar, he found Ymir on the floor with Hanji sitting by; the other woman's foot was in Hanji's face, she were watching in awe of the Regenerative powers working before her eyes. Ignoring the irking scene, he looked to Christa, asking,"Did you know of this?"

She shook her head, saying,"I've known her for three years, she never told me."

After half a minute, the hissing from Ymir's flesh ceased and Hanji released her foot, letting it fall dead to the floor. The raven haired woman scooted away from Hanji as the researcher tried to go closer, Ymir shot at her,"What the fuck, woman, you already seen it come back together-"

"How did you live outside the Walls?" Rivaille assertively asked, his tone was enough to make Hanji cease her pursuit. Annie was sitting in her chair, as she was left untouched, though her eyes held wonder at the discovery of her captor displayed the physical trait of a Titan-shifter.

Ymir trained her eyes wearily at Hanji, though she openly admitted,"I stayed in the form of a Titan. Look, I'm not involved in anything other than the Recon Corps. Hell, I thought I was the only Titan behind the Walls, I didn't know about Eren nor did I have any intent to destroy your organization."

"Then what are you here for?" Hanji questioned, getting up and heading to Annie. She saw that the cleaver had vanished, she brought her attention back to Ymir.

"I said it earlier, I'm only here for Christa," she declared,"her well-being is my concern."

Christa stood by Rivaille, quietly uttering,"Ymir..."

Then Ymir looked directly at her, as if expecting for her to say something else, but Rivaille prevented her from saying whatever it was, he said,"Your motives are entirely different, and since you brought Annie, I don't see a problem in having you roam around freely among us." He placed a hand on Christa's shoulder. "But if you go sideways on us, you damn well know what will happen."

Ymi's face contorted with a sudden rage yet she said nothing, only give a stiff nod as she got up.

"Get out."

Rivaille gently nudged Christa towards her as Hanji approached him. "You really love to have leverage over people, don't you?"

They watched as she gave an embrace to Christa, then ushered her out of the cellar.

"It comforts me, besides, this one isn't like Eren. She doesn't require discipline if there's already an incentive to behave," he replied as Christa's boot disappeared into the stairwell.

-...-

_Hanji hid herself behind the corner, keeping from view of the uninvited guests that stood at Rivaille's door._

_"Oh, surely, Rivaille, you understand what's going on," that horrible, dreadful voice drawled out,"it's an insurrection, you see...not all Kings can stay too long in their thrones, especially one such as yours. So shifty and easily swayed..."_

_"All subjects could be persuaded," Rivaille reasoned._

_"Yes, yes, with money and fear, but when you have power, it's a different story."_

_A torch had flew through a window, landing right by her feet and setting the ornate rug alight. At the sight of this, she fled, knowing too well of the danger that had followed her here. She sprinted out of her hiding spot to cross the intersecting hall, thus, revealing herself. The drawling owner of the voice took notice of her, he shoved Rivaille to the side as he tried to run after her, but Rivaille took a hold of his ankle and violently wrenched it back, forcing him to fall._

_Rivaille managed to get to his feet, he sprinted over to her, leaping over the growing fire. He grabbed her arm and ran as more torches were tossed about the entrance way, the gold-hungry men set alight his curtains and various finery. Horses from the outside told that they were surrounding his property. _

_He led her into the courtyard through another entrance. From there, they began to run for the outer gates of his home. She barely dodged a torch as it whirled by her head, it ended up into a bale of straw stored out in the open. His barn was already aflame, his horses had fled and any servant he had were gone or killed on sight. Hanji let out a yelp at the sight of it as she swerved passed a butchered maid._

_They ran into the merchant district, the sound of shots behind fired rang through their ears. They pressed on through the streets, around corners, down allies trying to lose them as they pursued on foot._

_"Are those guns!?" She exclaimed. She had seen his collection the night before but she never heard them in action; it startled her._

_It was his turn to lead them. "Yeah, for now at least. It gets dangerous with rifles."_

_Eventually they reached the entrance to the Underground Mall. She froze in place, unmoving, and then she backed away. "I...I'm not going back there..."_

_He tried to reason her but he didn't understand why her anxiety had decided to kick up. He knew she had problems, but he didn't know what."You have to, it's the only way we can lose them-"_

_"No!" She snapped, it was the first time she yelled at him. She slapped him away and took off running, he tore after her and, much to his regret, threw a hard punch to the back of the head, rendering her unconscious. He lifted her to his shoulders and took her underground, taking her through the tunnels, looking back every so often to check if they were followed._

_They were left alone._

-...-

Why was he remembering that just now?

He saw Hanji remove the gag in Annie's mouth, at the moment, he thought back to the nobleman that stood at his door. He used to be a trusted subordinate that had risen through the ranks of the criminal underworld while keeping political issues out of Rivaille's way. He was climbing the ladder too high, too fast, and before Rivaille could count anything suspicious, he overthrew him.

The bastard, with his political standing, developed a spoils system where men under the influence of his offering; positions in the government, power, they were freely promised and given when Rivaille had been usurped from his own domain.

"Are you willing to talk now?" Hanji said, though her voice sounded distant to him.

"If you keep fucking butchering my body every hour, I won't have the energy to transform into a Titan," she answered flatly.

"...can you tell me more?"

Annie glowered and said no more.

"Rivaille," Hanji said, drawing it out to get his attention. He looked over to her.

"What?"

"Please kick her for me."

He didn't hesitate. He quickly strode to her and brought several, well placed kicks to her face. Somewhere along the way, he knocked a tooth out. With every kick, her skin grew from red to purple, blood soon to flowed from her nose and mouth as he broke the cartilage. His thoughts drew back to the individual who disobeyed; even when he thought of the name, he kicked harder to vent out his anger.

That lazy face of a deviant man was something Rivaille could barely get out of his mind.

He raised his foot again to Annie, the sickening sound of a jaw popping issued a pained cry from Hanji as she winced sympathetically. Only a three kicks later did he stop, his rage gone and his composure collected once more. Hanji's hand went to his shoulder, she clicked her tongue, telling him,"You overdone it, now she's got a loose jaw."

"Hm, could've gone worse," he scoffed, shrugging her hand away,"you told me to kick."

She didn't say anything else as she left his side to tie the gag, not around Annie's mouth, but at her jaw to keep it in place. Annie was reduced to a whimpering, bloody mess, though her eyes screamed death at Rivaille. He locked gazes with her, trying to see what she wanted to shriek but it grew quiet.

"Pain is the most effective way of getting someone to bow," he reasoned to Hanji, but more towards Annie.

She wasn't going to crack any time soon. It would be just like the backstabbing subordinate he had before.

_...Isidor._


	17. Chapter 17

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

* * *

"A Marquis holds power over a District and the surrounding areas. Mostly they consist of direct relatives to the King. Despite the military maintaining the physical enforcement of laws and protection over the people, the Marquis, or Marquise (if she's a woman), represents his or her people in the government and also holds power in their designated District and land. Of course, whatever the King says goes so any important decision is left up to him...so even if you have the title, it's completely useless."

Jean sat closely to Eren, whispering his piece as Isidor lazily kept both his eyes trained on them. They hadn't had much of a conversation with the man in power, for he just slouched there with his flickering out to lick his lips. Sneaking out of the headquarters was an easy task as there was a commotion of soldiers frantically searching for the supposed Scout that had murdered his or her Commander. With the Marquis meandering with the two boys in tow, it was astonishing Jean for them to overlook the escaping fugitives.

The servant, who they learned his name to be Fiete, had left during their conversation to fetch them the carriage. When they entered the courtyard, Isidor beckoned them to enter first, then he clambered after. They had been set on riding in the carriage for most of the night, even through the storm that brew overhead clashed all around them.

Only towards the end of the raining night, just an hour before the break of dawn, they arrived at a designated spot. Morning dew greeted them when Fiete opened the door of the carriage, like sheep, both Eren and Jean stepped down. They had stopped before a dilapidated structure; it seemed to be some sort of store standing at two or three stories high. Most of it appeared to be damaged by a great fire, it was only the brick structure that held it together.

Windows at the front were smashed, the inside had furniture charred black, untouched for years, as it may look. The front door had been kicked down, from there, Isidor ushered them inside where they found the remains of what looked like shelves; ashen leather of bound books were scattered about but when Jean bent down to pick up one, the pages crumbled in his hand, leaving black soot on his fingers.

After idling examining the store, they took their seats on four fresh chairs that had been brought from the outside. There was a new, wooden table where a bottle of alcohol sat, telling them that Isidor had been here previously. He motioned for them to sit and they did.

The sun peeked over Wall Rose, blessing them with its rays and bringing head to their bones. Jean had decided to set apart his Gear, letting it stay by the wall to relieve himself of the weight. They had been sitting for quite a while; they grew wary as the Marquis before them hadn't spoke or uttered a single taunt during the journey here.

Jean kept his voice low as he tried to give a quick lesson in politics to Eren as the Titan-shifter so willingly asked him.

"...ironically, they never show their faces to the people," Jean ended, he threw a quick glare at Isidor.

The man smiled rather comically at them. He gloated,"Well, bask in my presence, boy. Peasants like you rarely see the sights of us."

"Why did you bring us here?" Eren asked. They could have overpowered him and left at the drop of a hat, he was only one man and posed little threat to two soldiers. Yet they stayed, he was their ticket out of the Karanse, for Jean, and Eren's hope to reunite with Mikasa and Armin, should they be alive.

Isidor raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"You never told us anything!" Jean nearly snapped, he did his best to keep his voice even. The frustration of having a man looking so aloof was beginning to build up in him. A sudden rush of paranoia kicked into him, he grew worried that Isidor may be springing a trap to capture them both. Then again, playing bait and using a Titan-shifter as the hook would be unnecessary to capture just one person.

"Ah, well, I'm waiting for the Commander," he conversationally replied,"this spot had served well yesterday at noon. There more on the Karanese but military men aren't allowed to the Underground Malls."

"Commander of the Military Police?" Eren warily inquired, he got up from his chair. Jean didn't need to ask Eren's own opinion, he had a feeling the other was gaining the same thoughts as him.

"No, the Recon Corps!" Isidor exclaimed. The pair were left dumbfounded by him.

_Hadn't he told us he died?_

The perplexed look on their faces prompted the Marquis to hold both hands up towards Eren, motioning slowly for him to sit. Unwillingly, Eren did, and the Marquis have a satisfied smirk. He reached for the bottle of vine and uncorked it, popping it away and drinking for a moment to wet his whistle. Once having his fill, he hiccuped and languidly told them,"It was just a stunt. Claimed he got the idea from someone but he never said who. The man says,_'The only way to fix this all is my death'_. I tell,_'What good is a body, hm?'_ He gives me a falsely loaded pistol and tells me,_'The next Scout who enters shall be the person we frame, though there's an escape route he can go through. Once I'm dead, you can get Eren Yaeger from his cell, I want you to release him,'_ and so I ask,_'Surely you're plotting something,'_ but I never came around to knowing what as some Zacharias person enters. After a bit of chit chat, Erwin had him leave, I fired a shot, he leaves through the window with his Gear, and then here we are."

"This doesn't tell us...anything, you're just saying what happened. Why the hell would he fake his death?" Eren asked.

Isidor shrugged. "That's his agenda, I have my own, and I'm not settled until I get what's rightfully mine."

"Then what's a Marquis like you doing here in the midst of a massive Search and Destroy operation? It's suspicious enough to even know you're in the area," Jean pointed out.

"Again, that's my business, at least my presence is grand enough for the Garrison to open the Inner Gates for me. To be quite frank, I care less if they close it the moment the last of my horse's tail is at the end. Be grateful I've exerted my efforts to come at all," Isidor scoffed, a short laugh following afterwards. "Besides, I had to send papers over here, thought it'd be nice to do it in person as I rarely get out of my home."

Jean grimaced at the imprudent impression Isidor was giving him. He had enough so decided to stand up.

"Where're you going?"

"Elsewhere than where you are as we wait for Commander," he snidely remarked. "Asking anything else from you would be useless. People are dead and dying and you're just drinking and laughing."

Eren followed him, though it wasn't expected of him. As they began to make their way deeper into the store, Isidor grumbled insults to them, then broke into laughter, just as Jean had shot at him. They meandered through the rubble, their boots stepping into the ashes, staining them black. Eren kicked away one fallen beam, then assisted Jean on moving a fallen bed to the side so that they would have access to the far back.

"It's kinda sketchy that he picks this place to wait for Erwin," Eren commented as he examined the area some more.

Jean took notice of the many shelves that still stood against the walls. "A burned down bookstore. Certainly inconspicuous."

Indeed it was. They managed to reach a part of the shop that hadn't been burned away, the wallpaper was spared the flames and some volumes suffered water damage. Jean glanced up to see the roof had been burned away, leaving an opening where sunlight poured in. He surmised that it was raining the day this placed was lit ablaze.

Eren wandered by.

They never saw eye-to-eye, and never gotten along, but it was by Jean's own initiative to try and spring Eren from the cell. As he saw his friends being butchered, he knew something was amiss, that Eren would be the key to save whatever they had left; he heard Mikasa shout out her desire to rescue him. Her words had an impact and, without having much to do and have already avoided his pursuers, he decided to go out on the limb to get him.

At this, Eren said while kneeling upon the unmarked floor,"Thank you."

"I didn't get you out," Jean murmured.

"The thought counts though, I'm grateful you came. Is Mikasa and Armin...?"

Jean shuffled his feet over a fallen timber. He had only told Eren what occurred on the surface, that he had to be free, but nothing else. "We got separated, but I'm sure they'll be fine. They're with Reiner, last I saw them."

"Reiner can be trusted, yeah," he agreed, sounding relieved. He reached into a shelf and pulled out a random book. He opened it, only to see a note slip out. He reached for it and found a familiar handwriting scrawled across it. "..._'may you have better days'_...that's just funny for what we're going through."

They quietly skimmed through the books, every so often they'd find an uplifting message or receipt of some kind. Jean had taken to going up the stairs after he figured that it could hold his weight. The second floor was similar to the first and suffered the most damage, even a gaping hole in the middle showed where the fire burned most. The third floor offered some more things to look through.

It was an attic with half the room scorched, another opening in the floor gave him an overhead view of Eren and, from his angle, Isidor as he tipped the bottom of the bottle to drink. Rolling his eyes at the drunk nobleman, he browsed through the unburned items left behind. It consisted of a bureau and bed. He cautious stepped over to them and opened one drawer to find a hand mirror and small telescope, then notes with random positions of stars.

"A scholar may have owned this place," he muttered, closing the drawer and then opening a second one. Inside, he found yellow silk, he reached in to touch it, shocked by the fibers being safe from harm's way. His fingers brushed against leather, he pulled away at one fold to find a journal of sorts. He wasn't one to peruse through people's privacy but this particular location got him wondering if Isidor held some value to the building.

The Marquis could have easily picked a tavern to meet with Erwin, but instead, he chose a run down bookstore.

He sat upon the bed, which was stuffy and offered little comfort, and flipped to a random page. The silk was tucked in his fingers to hold, he had a fondness for soft things.

_'I still have nightmares about those chains. The cold, unforgiving steel upon my wrists and ankles can be felt often, even now as I write. Mr. Rivaille noticed me shivering at the market when I saw a cow tied off with those dreadful links. I think I gave the impression I was cold, he bought me a silk to wrap me in. It's the middle of summer and he gives me something warm, quite awkward of him. I'm using it to cover this book, maybe by the fall I can have use of it...'_

"Mr. Rivaille?" Jean mouthed the word.

_'...he stole off a nobleman, I counted a hundred and twelve gold pieces when I got home. Gold from the Royal Treasury! It amazes me how he can steal so well, one day I wish to be the same-'_

The page was cut off from there. He turned to the next passage.

_'I fell ill. Gabrielle allowed Mr. Rivaille to come spend a few days to take my place in the shop and keep me company. His charity wasn't necessary but I appreciate it.'_ She trails on about her illness. _'It's strange to be in the same room with a man. Unlike the ones who would violate me, he sits by the desk and reads stories to me. For once, I could sleep peacefully. No nightmares came to me when he was there. As silly as this may sound, he probably scared it all away with his glaring- oh, he took the time to clean...'_

Jean closed the book. He turned it to the first page and found the name haphazardly written, it was the book's owner. His eyes widened and he snapped the book closed. As he held the silk closer, he got off the bed and made his way for downstairs where Eren appeared to be engrossed in a book.

"Hey, I found something about the outer lands beyond the Walls," Eren said rather cheerfully, the book seemed ready to fall apart,"Armin used to read this sort of thing-eh? What's with the silk-?"

"The Marquis knows Hanji Zoe," Jean blurted in a low voice. He glanced over his shoulder to see Isidor still drinking, happy with his favorite cordial; he was humming a merry tune. Eren looked confused until Jean showed him the owner of the book. "I think that's why he's here, he's looking for her. He came all this way for her-"

The humming from Isidor ceased, they turned their heads to see that the Marquis had appeared behind them.

"So you snooped around like a dog and figured this out?" He questioned. He offered out a hand. "Give that book to me."

Jean handed the journal to him.

"And the silk there."

Giving him an uncertain stare, he done so. Isidor brought the silk to his nose and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent before exhaling as though nostalgia hit him harder than a horse's hoof. His lopsided smile came around as he turned away, his free hand gesturing them to follow. Reluctantly, they did, his voice resounded,"A tragic thing happened here nearly thirteen years ago. Someone torched this beloved home of Zoe and she fled to the arms of another man for protection, hm...I loved her so."

His somber voice shook.

"I tried to help, I really did. But the fire was too strong." Isidor turned dramatically, his hand brushed over the horrific scars across his face. "Spent this time searching for her, and when her name came up as the first to executed in this hunting of Scouts, I had to come here and see for myself if she's alive."

The smile had fallen off of his face as he sat himself on the chair. Jean had heard of the rumors two days ago that the well-known Squad Leader was to be sentenced to death for being a Titan; only after that did the massive interrogations take place. He knew not why the military would put so much effort into doing such an operation but he had no doubt Eren may have had something to do with it.

Heartrendingly, Isidor asked,"Do either of you two know the whereabouts of my love?"

Eren couldn't answer, he was stuck in his cell the past few days. He was probably imprisoned before the rumors started. Jean took the liberty to say,"There may be a possibility that she's dead. I've only gotten gossip someone was sent to kill her."

Isidor plopped himself to the seat, his eyes staring into space. He held the book and silk close to his chest as though he were trying to hold someone. They stood there, watching him in stunned silence. Eren gave a worried eye to Jean, he couldn't comprehend the news of hearing the eccentric researcher being murdered as well. Placed in an awkward position, Jean headed for the entrance of the store, but stopped short when he was graced by the sight of their Commander, alive and well.

Jean reached out to touch him, to make sure he was real. His fingers met the Wings of Freedom stitched upon his left breast pocket. In turn, the Commander reached to cover the back of Jean's hand with his palm, he gave a sturdy, reassuring shake and curt nod.

-...-

The following day found Sasha in the stables of the Flora.

Weiss, as quiet as ever, laid in the straw bed near the racks holding their Gears. He was situated outside, just at the corner, where he could keep an eye on newcomers and also be in the company of Sasha. She was bent over on a stool, her hands busily mixing molasses and alfalfa; the sweet, sticky substance clung to her hand, it was tempting to try to not eat it.

Her own chestnut, now invigorated after a day's rest, nickered at her, familiar with the treat that would come by. She looked up and smiled at it. "You can't be patient, huh?"

Another whine came from the chestnut, it stomped its hoof on the pavement and she admonished it by give a low groan,"Hey! Quit that!"

The door from the front opened. Rivaille appeared came around the corner with a box of provisions. As he passed by, she lowered her head and worked harder at the bucket. He had taken notice of her before; she rarely spoke to anyone other than Tobias and Hanji, perhaps Armin and Christa, but everyone else, she seemed oddly distant. Before his presence, she shirked away.

Shrugging off her behavior, he went on through the passage and into the back alley where Mike's wagon was laying in wait. Mike himself was at the side, checking the wheel and making sure everything was operational. When Rivaille made his appearance known, Mike got up and reported,"The wagon is fine. Also added the false bottom so Mikasa can lay. We'll add cloth and straw to cushion her."

To show, Mike stepped in and hauled Rivaille up after placing the provisions in the back. He lifted three panels on the bottom to reveal a hidden space large enough for the injured girl. Rivaille nodded in approval as Mike brought the panels down. They sat there, quiet, and Mike tried to start up conversation,"Is Sasha getting the mix done? The horses need the energy for tomorrow."

"You've been glaring at me since yesterday," Rivaille blatantly said.

Mike's mouth opened in an "oh?" and he tried to hold a neutral expression.

"Don't bullshit me."

Rivaille had spent the afternoon yesterday with Mike as they were readying their Gears with Petra. Every often, for some reason, he had the feeling of someone staring at him for far too long. When he would look up, he'd see Mike bring his focus back to cleaning the Gear at hand. Only a couple times he caught Mike directly glaring at him and being a bit slow to look down.

He had took notice of it since breakfast when he came down the stairs with Hanji. He was aware that they made quite the ruckus and was, oddly, unsurprised of Mike suddenly showing subtle signs of enmity. Should Mike have decided to reveal feelings before, Rivaille would have passed Hanji along to him without care; so long as she was satisfied and alive, he'd put up less of a resistance.

However, now that he had been beginning to address his feelings, he slowly slipped into having a sense of possession of the woman. A sense in which he cannot let go of her. Ever since the day he had tried to kill her, his inability to do so proved to him that he, indeed, has feelings for her, deep ones. He couldn't bear the thought of having her leave this world, now he couldn't bear to have her be with anyone but him.

Emotions were quite strange to Rivaille, but who is to say he never felt anything like this with such a great magnitude? He hadn't. And he had a deep fear of losing what he had just realized.

As expected (the man would give in to any order Rivaille gave), Mike easily admitted to him,"I do harbor a great liking towards Hanji."

"...what we are about to do tomorrow will cost us our lives, it's best to admit that soon if we fail to make it," Rivaille advised him.

While held possession towards Hanji, he held compassion for those he fought with at his side. Mike's eyes were wide in surprise, and it was surprising to Rivaille himself as he let it slip out so easily. He could have regretted that statement until Bertolt arrived with the last barrel. It was then that he felt he could turn the tide and deliberately force Mike to change his thoughts towards Hanji.

Bertolt hauled the barrel into the wagon. "Sir, the last barrel."

Rivaille reached over to the rope that snaked out of the lid. "Do you have any opinions you wish to share about Hanji?"

Confused by Rivaille's request, Mike confessed anyway, saying,"She's a nice person, kind...one of the best I've seen in my life. Brilliant too, I could work passed the Titan obsession and see she's-"

He lifted the lid. A swarm of flies burst forth, blinding them for a moment. A few seconds of swatting them away, Mike was the first to take a peek inside. Within it were the now rotting limbs of Annie, he froze in place at the horrid sight. Unfortunately, Bertolt had looked into it as well and, for a man his stature, his eyes rolled back and he fainted, falling to his back with a thud.

Mike tore his gaze away as he jumped out of the wagon to cradle Bertolt's upper body.

Rivaille brought his cravat to cover his nose from the stench, he then closed the barrel, telling him,"The woman has issues and I've spent years trying to understand her; this, well, it can't be explained. Would you rethink what you've just seen?"

"As much as I hate to say, you do know her well...and I'm willing to let you know that I'd prefer her to be satisfied and well rather than trying to hide who she is to me," he responded carefully.

The former Corporal got out of the wagon. "Smart choice. Get Bertolt into the tavern...and get rid of those legs, Tobias will bitch at us for mixing it in with his supplies."

He passed by Sasha. This time, she was mixing the molasses into the feed boxes on the walls, each horse chewed noisily as she looked over at him. For the first time, she reached out to him by approaching a few feet away, getting his attention. "Corporal..."

"What?"

"...I've been meaning to say...I saw a friend die in front of me," she slowly began. "It was at the hands of man, not Titan."

He stopped by her. He figured that she hasn't been able to tell anyone properly, that she needed help of some kind. It reminded him of Hanji-

"You can mourn when we get out of here alive," he briskly told her, trying to put her into place. He expected her to burst into tears but she gave a shaky nod. Whatever she had seen had clearly taken a toll on her; she carried herself as though she had a burden. Now, she spoke with a growing confidence, her shaking ceased and she stood up straighter.

"...place me on the offensive with you and the others," she requested strongly,"I want to take them down at my chance."

When she referred to _them_, she meant her own enemies, the ones that they were fleeing from; the military.

_He brought out several coins of silver and cold, he laid them out on the table while using a block of wood to represent the wagon._

_"...the First Formation...Ymir, Christa, Hanji, you'll be riding by the wagon while Mikasa, Armin, and Petra are in it, Tobias drives; stay behind him with Hanji in the center. Sasha, Mike, Reiner, and Bertolt will be position by twos behind Hanji. I'll be in the back with Annie riding double. We will most likely be discovered so, at the first sign of danger, I want one of you to tell all of us to break into the Second Formation._

_"I will force Annie into transforming into a Titan and we go on from there. Ymir and Christa, you take the left and right of the wagon and keep it safe from the front, you will be the offense with the rifles I'm giving you. Sasha and Mike will emerge on the left and right on the cart's side and hold the defense, Hanji, stay where are you are. Reiner and Bertolt will cover you from behind and be the rear offense...hold this formation until all threats are dealt with..."_

He supplied everyone with the flintlocks and rifles. Out of all of them, he, Sasha, Mike, Reiner, and Bertolt knew how to use such weapons, Hanji, Armin, and Ymir had a fairly good grasp though their aims could be dubious, Christa had never fired one and Petra had only done so in close quarters. Regardless, they were given weapons. He preferred to keep the best shots holding the defense as the offense would serve as distractions.

Upon hearing Sasha's request for a change in position, he raised a brow. "Why's that?"

She bent under the rope and then placed the now empty bucket near the saddle stand. She pushed away some blankets and brought out a long object covered by a cloth, the second item she brought out was a quiver with about a dozen arrow shafts peeking out from the mouth; she slung it over her shoulder as she unraveled the cloth.

Within her hand was an ornate hunting bow; carvings of a wolves ran stretched at both lims with the string not taut at the hooks at the string grooves. The grip was bound by leather for her to hold. He scrutinized it, then asked,"An archer?"

"Hunter. Tobias's wife came from the same village as I, he gave me this to return home...I wish to use it against my new prey."

She sounded like she thirsted for blood.

_Was this what she had been quiet for?_

"...tell Christa you're switching places with her, fight by Ymir's side, be in the front and do as you see fit," he said after a moment of deliberation. He walked away, leaving her with her newly acquired weapon at hand. He swore he could have heard labored breathing when he turned his back. He saw Weiss wag his tail freely, as though he were happy for Sasha. He stared for a moment, then called over his shoulder,"Hey, you bringing this with us?"

"He follows where I go, why not?"


	18. Chapter 18

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N: **They are given three days before the Inner Gates of Wall Rose opens. Sorry, hadn't updated for a bit, it was pretty hectic, ha ha.**  
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It was the eighth day of the fourth month.

At 1600, Isidor rode with his entourage down the main road. The working class and merchants had emerged from their stores and homes to see the Marquis himself ride with his party. The grandeur displayed by his horses made the children stare in awe, but those who knew resentment disapprovingly glowered at the sight, murmuring how the steeds could be feed until they were fat while their own children starved.

Isidor knew too well of this. He had spent time amongst them before his inheritance to his position.

Fiete rode by his right. A guard to his right, and many more for protection. Eren, Erwin, and Jean had taken three horses for themselves, having been told the good Commander's plan from two days before. During their interval, Isidor had supplied Erwin and Jean with gas so that they may have the means to carry on their work. His interest in the lives of other Scouts dropped when he heard of Jean's assumption that his beloved was murdered, yet an obsession- no, love he had acquired of the years brought him to think otherwise.

The trio had taken to the side streets, distantly following the main group but keeping near the main road. So long as they all stayed at a walk, there would be no need for the guards of the surrounding areas to raise the alarm.

_"When the surviving Scouts appear, Eren will buy them time by turning into a Titan; I will leave Jean to regroup with the survivors. Once we make sure they get out of Wall Rose alive, I will get Eren out of the Titan and leave with you."_

_"Erwin, that's only under the pretense that you can even touch Eren before he kills you."_

_"Besides, how can we count of them not closing the Gate once I leave? They could keep it open and send in reinforcements."_

_"Then the survivors ought to be prepared for this to be dragged on beyond the Gate."_

_"I suppose I must keep running. They could butcher my escorts for all I for- you'll be there to stop them, right?"_

_"Mike should be there."_

A long fight.

He slouched in his saddle and gave a yawn.

The Military Police surrounded him, keeping him in the middle. About two dozen guards, all armed with Gears and blades. He expected about a fourth of them would rush out to greet the enemy should they arrive. One of his guards, Fritz Gervas, had decided to see him off at the gate before returning to work at finding the surviving Scouts.

"...the Wall occultists wiped practically everyone we could get our hands on," Fritz reported to him.

"I imagine you hadn't captured Zacharias?" He drawled, he knew the man was elsewhere.

"No, and neither had we found Smith's body. You were there when it happened, it must have been horrible."

Isidor scoffed. "You forget who gave you your rank."

"Apologies, _sir_," Fritz sneered.

They passed through a check-point without problem before finally arriving at the Gate to find it closed. The Garrison soldiers had spotted them and began the process of opening it; the strident shrieks of metal and unbecoming groans from grinding gears echoed throughout the square. As the idly stood, bald Stationary Guard wearing a red sash approached from one of the guardhouses.

He was stowing away a flask of vine as he approached Isidor. Commander Dott Pixis pleasantly asked,"Did you have a fair time in the Karanese?"

Both shook a hand at greeting. Isidor gave a somewhat agreeable shrug. "Could have done less with the MP running about."

"You can't imagine the overtime you're giving us, Marquis," Fritz inputted with a grimacing face. "Protecting you and all, it was hard enough to not worry about your safety with all these fugitives loose."

"Imagine them as scared animals," Isidor dragged on. He scanned the area, seeing nothing but guards and several civilians, he brought his attention to Pixis. "Are you quarantining this place?"

"Naturally, we have to. If I may be so bold as to say this, I find this to be a waste of our resources and time, hunting down Scouts and keeping them contained here. The government, mind my words, must have gone mental to go as far as removing the most important branch of the military," Pixis told them, his eyes narrowing towards Isidor.

Fritz barked out with a laugh. "Oh, c'mon, old man, they were useless. When you open the gates when they return home, they come back smaller in number! Had they produced anything useful for humanity? No, not ever-"

"That was because the government didn't give them a chance to demonstrate Eren Yaeger's benefit to everyone. Was closing Trost not good enough for you or are you too stupid to see we won a battle for the first time?" Pixis countered. "The Recon Corps has done much more than the Military Police, they hold much more honor, and they can live through anything when they return from the Hell that they've thrown themselves into one too any times."

"Marquis, he's voicing an opinion favoring the enemy, should I lop off his head?" Fritz said behind gritted teeth.

Isidor couldn't help but drown out the voices by focusing on the Inner Gate opening half-way. They were beginning to bicker, or at least Fritz was willing to raise his voice; he could hear the bitterness in the older man's tone yet he astonishingly never raised his voice. When Fritz's question finally came to mind, Isidor replied,"No, you should not because I agree with him entirely."

The MP soldier was taken aback. "Sir!? You voted for-"

"I voted for my hide, not my favor. Commander, walk by my side. All of you, leave us be." Isidor nudged his horse forward so that he would be out of earshot of his escorts. Pixis strode easily, they went on for a bit until he stopped his horse and said,"Command your Garrison to stand down."

"I've already told them to do so."

Isidor raised a brow, curious.

"We only open the Gates for when someone of great importance such as you comes along. To have these events unfold and then for you, Marquis, to have a need to travel as far as here, surely this would catch someone's attention; after all, you voted for the annihilation of the Recon Corps. Also, with your retort towards that MP soldier there, my prediction could never be more than spot on for a sympathizer for the fallen branch of the military. Besides...the Garrison had aided a few other Scouts escape over the passed few days, we simply just avoid adding them to our reports."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then added,"I take it you're expecting the survivors to appear soon?"

"...yes, of course. Your mind knows no bounds, does it, Pixis?"

The Garrison Commander smiled, just slightly, then turned away. "Good luck with whatever you have set into motion."

Isidor's horse noisily snorted before being forced to return to the main group. Fiete had turned around, his back facing Isidor; the Marquis walked by and asked of him,"What is it?"

The mute man brought a hand up, pointing at something. His eyes, along with everyone's heads, looked in the direction of where he was bringing their attention towards.

It was the main road. Behind his men, a wagon approached with a redheaded driver carrying two passengers and many supplies; he was followed by a convoy. It could have been a merchant for all he knew, then again, he wasn't scheduled to have anyone but himself leave the Karanese. It dawned on him that these people were the surviving Scouts.

They would have made a peaceful leave but, as much as they were drawing attention to themselves, they would have raised suspicion. It was then, as they drew close, a flash of bright light came from above.

At the sight of it, Isidor whirled his horse head for the Inner Gate. The earth trembled and screams rose, shots rang overhead; Fiete was frantically riding by his side, Fritz had barely caught up with him. The sound of Gears firing off with soldiers whizzed by the three as they rode on, making a break for it. Somewhere, Fritz had turned his horse around after making sure that Isidor was in the safety outside of Wall Rose.

"Escort the Marquis elsewhere!" Fritz ordered, several of the guards that made it out of the ensuing fight had followed. He charged back into the Wall, his blades already drawn. The Marquis, undeterred by the appearance of light, listened to the other soldiers as they panicked, speaking hastily about what they had seen.

"Sir," one spoke out,"we must get you further away!"

They waited for him to reply, to agree in their pleas, to leave. They were in fear for themselves, not for the Marquis. Isidor glared at each of them. Two dozen men for his protection. They would be slaughtered in an instant once the survivors emerged from the Inner Gate. He merely shook his head.

He calmly watched, waiting for the sign of a convoy. He was sure that the group he saw earlier were the people he had sent Mike to bring. This plan was completely makeshift, should anyone leave alive, it would have been considered a miracle. He wanted to say just long enough to look at each living Scout to see if he could find the one he had been looking for.

-...-

At noon, Ymir tightened the cinch to her saddle.

Beside her, Christa was doing the same.

Everyone else had gotten their horses ready, most were tied by the tie-downs outside the porch of the Flora.

Their uniforms were washed the night before, courtesy of Rivaille though Christa had brought a truck of clothes for later use once they, as everyone hoped, escaped with their lives. From where they stood, Rivaille was trotting his horse in circles while Mike lunged his horse to lessen its anxiety; Tobias, dressed for travel, lazily sat in the front seat of the wagon, dazing to nowhere; Sasha was combing through Weiss's hair, telling her new friend something; Hanji, Petra, and Armin were still in the tavern, prepping Mikasa for the journey; the rest were making their way outside, escorting Annie.

"Christa," Ymir said as she looped the cinch and checked the girth with her fingers.

"Yeah?" She had finished ahead of her, now she stood by, holding the reins to her palomino.

"Upon my revealing of my secret, you said you would live up to your name and reclaim what you had left."

Christa looked directly at her.

"...how do we know I'm going to live to reclaim it? It's just us, lightly armed, against an army," she said with a near laugh. "Who knows? There could be hundreds, possibly thousands, and we're only counting on the Gate to close behind our last horse!"

"You have two, confirmed Titans at your disposal," Ymir reasoned,"and you still want to hold fear? Just tell me who you are."

Her free hand reached to take a hold of the blond's shoulders to reel her in, taking her into an embrace. Despite her abrasive personality, her gestures told otherwise as she buried her face into Christa's hair to breathe in her sweet scent. She leaned further and planted a chaste kiss to her cheek. She felt Christa's lips by her ear, then a low whisper came from her,"Historia..."

Ymir let out a pleasant sigh, as though she were relieved at the revelation that needed to quell her curiosity. "That's beautiful."

Christa gave a half-smile and withdrew, only to have Ymir bring a hand to gently nudge her chin up. Without question, Christa tip-toed to meet her lips with her own. This simple practice was meant to be chaste, brief just as it had been before, but Ymir had taken the initiative to deepen it. Despite holding the reins in one hand, she took Christa's waist and slowly backed her against the wall.

Hands were slowly caressing the other one's back, a silently language where they told each other not to die, to promise to stay alive. It was Ymir's deepest fear that Christa would be gone from this world, and the danger she felt of knowing there were more Titans than herself living amongst humans had drawn a cautious side of her.

Her fingers found themselves tangled in the golden locks, bringing Christa closer.

Their horses pawed the ground and snorted, waiting for them. Reluctantly, Ymir withdrew herself, though their lips lingered for a brief moment. She murmured with that smile,"When this is over, let's get married."

A cough came from somewhere. Ymir glanced over her shoulder to see Sasha standing a few feet away with Weiss. The white dog's tail wagged like a flag though his new master had an almost defeated look. Scrutinizing her quickly, Ymir brought Christa closer to her as she asked,"What?"

"Corporal says that we're leaving now," Sasha informed them, trying to not meet their eyes.

"We'll be there."

They shared a quick kiss and lead their horses out.

The convoy had been set up the way Rivaille had described it. Tobias, with a liver colored draft hauling their supply cart, took his place at the front with Armin and Petra (Mikasa was hidden away as planned); behind him, in a row, Sasha trotted to the right of Hanji while Mike stood at the left (these three had Gears equipped, along with Sasha having a quiver strapped behind her); the third row was where Ymir and Christa were to be situated; the fourth contained Bertolt and Reiner (both had Gears); finally, Rivaille had taken the rear with Annie bound and gagged behind him, he was wearing her Gear under his coat.

Once they stood in line, Ymir overheard Hanji speaking to Mike.

"...as much as the kids are in debt to me, we are to you as well," she said, looking over at him. He wasn't facing her but he heard her, nodding stiffly. "I owe you one, Mike."

He huffed out,"When we get to another tavern, you can pay me back in drink. You still got the coin purse?"

Hanji pointed at her waist. "You need it back?"

"Unless I plan on throwing it at the MP. Maybe it'll distract them." She snorted with a laugh while he shook his head, the cloth rustled a bit over his head.

They were each given cloaks, most had taken to slipping on their hoods. In the corner of her eye, Ymir saw Christa fumbling about to get her hood on. She done so as well, making sure it was stay secure.

Rivaille's voice rose amongst the nickers and light chatters, aiming for Mike,"Avoid the check-points. Trot the horses and don't make eye-contact with the people, be wary of the patrols!"

Without further ado, they were off. Tobias cracked his whip, bringing the draft to haul their wagon. Another crack, he was trotting. The others, keeping in formation, quietly followed with their own steeds. Shod horses clopped their hooves against the bricks, the sound of saddles and Gears slapping one another created a steady rhythm that everyone fell into place with.

By Ymir's horse came Weiss, briskly trotting with a tongue hanging out. A sharp whistle came from Sasha, the sheepdog weaved between Ymir's row to be by Sasha's side.

It was quiet in the spring afternoon. Few people were paying mind to them, Ymir figured that it had something to do with the Marquis and how they were gathering elsewhere to see him off. Her thoughts meandered as he began to post in her seat; the trot has been sped up for some reason but there was no alarm. As though they were back in the field, none uttered a word.

Save for Mike, he called out directions to Tobias, navigating them through the Karanese to avoid the MP check-points.

Ymir glanced over her shoulder and saw Bertolt staring back at her, something was amiss there. He didn't hold that defeated expression, no, he looked ready to kill. she shrugged it off in the belief that he was nervous of leaving. She faced forward once more.

Four hours passed, soon enough, the view of the Inner Gates appeared around the corner. A sigh escaped from someone when they found it to be opened half-way. Ahead, a few kilometers between their convoy and the Gate, stood about a group of riders; it could have been the Marquis and his escorts. She was sure the Rivaille could see the sight yet he didn't call for the Second Formation.

It felt empty when they walked down the main road, it was quiet, and she grew paranoid about it. Ymir scanned their surroundings once more.

Her feelings were confirmed when Sasha's voice broke it. "I hear three horses coming in from the West, they're cantering!"

The report was acknowledged by Rivaille as he told them all,"Stay in formation!"

And they did.

It was only a matter of seconds that three horses fell into their view. Only one of the riders had abruptly stopped his horse while the other two continued on, crossing the main road and disappearing into another alley. Their convoy was brought to a halt for the rider. He wore no cloak but he donned a Gear, his hair and shirt, his build, it was recognizable to them.

Sasha was the first to lower her hood, addressing him with a shocked tone. "Jean!?"

But there was no relief in his expression. He didn't even bother to respond to her but, instead, trotted his horse to the back of the line to where Rivaille was. After a few moments of them speaking, Rivaille spoke out once more,"He'll be joining us, keep moving!"

"Who were the other two?" Hanji asked from where she was positioned. "Why aren't they coming along?"

Mike leaned to the side of his saddle to pick up the breeze that had blown by. He sniffed the air several times, once for finding a scent, second for reaffirming it, third to know if it were real, fourth in a sudden disbelief. "I...I caught Eren's scent, but...strangely, I have Erwin's as well."

"The man lives!?"

She rounded her horse, pushing passed Ymir and Christa and jostling Reiner and Bertolt. Ymir turned in her saddle, as did Christa.

"Erwin's alive," Hanji urgently told him,"he's probably going to use Eren as-"

"Jean's told me what he could," Rivaille calmly interrupted. His words were quickly thrown at Jean,"Go stop Eren from transforming, tell Erwin that we have another Titan-shifter on our hands, the use of Eren is not needed! Hanji, get back to your spot."

The brunette brought her sorrel around as Jean galloped passed them to disappear into the side-street. They continued on, trotting once more. As they drew near, a sense of urgency fell before Ymir, as though Jean wouldn't get to Eren on time, that the plan would involve two Titans instead of one. She looked back once again and she saw Rivaille bring out a knife, being ready to slice away at Annie should the need rise.

They drew closer the group of riders standing at the Gate. They had already gotten their attention.

Some of the guards that had appeared began to near them, readying to ask questions, but before the surviving Scouts could draw their weapons, light struck out from above, leaving them in white, blinding them temporarily; Eren had been drawn out from hiding.

Screams rose, shots were fired, and in the midst of the oncoming confusion, it was Ymir who shouted her loudest,"BREAK INTO SECOND FORMATION!"


	19. Chapter 19

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

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The breaking into Second Formation went smoothly.

Mike and Sasha advanced to the front, acting as the offense for Tobias, driving away anyone that would dare come near; the brunette had begun to nock an arrow while the blond had aimed his rifle. The first that drew too close were fired upon in an instant once they assumed their correct position; Hanji remained where she was but she pulled back to give extra space between her and the back of the cart.

Ymir and Christa filled in the gap, advancing on either side of Hanji and then continuing on to be parallel to the cart. Rifles were drawn at the ready but remained unfired.

Reiner and Bertolt fell back to both sides of Rivaille, shielding him temporarily and waiting his command.

The reality of this lasted for only half a minute, Rivaille made sure everyone was in place, spaced out and giving one another a good room to fight with; when they would approach the Gate, he planned on Ymir and Christa to slow down just enough to let Tobias have enough room to run through. This was perfect, he thought, as they went into a canter.

The blinding light had only fazed them but the notion of the signal given by Ymir had drawn their attention into looking straight ahead.

Out of nothing came the dreaded Titan that many naturally feared, those who had not lain eyes upon him took him as the initial enemy and focused their efforts onto taking him down rather than noticing their convoy. It was perfect distraction but with Annie behind him, Rivaille held second thoughts; he could, by all means, retrieve Eren from the damnable Titan's body and leave Annie for the MP to deal with.

It was a makeshift plan, just as the formation was, and he felt the need to do it. Eren wasn't a traitor, the one he had riding behind him is the real threat.

"I'm going to get Eren!" He yelled over the guns as troops dispersed all around him; Gears were being used. Eren's Titan merely stood there, unmoving, but when the sight of soldiers aiming for his ankles came into view, he began to move.

Reiner offered a hand to Rivaille, not questioning his decision. Without stopping to think why Reiner would do so, he handed his black horse's reins to him, expecting him to lead his horse on. He turned half-way in his saddle and faced Annie, knife drawn for her. His free hand grasped the bloodied sweater underneath her jacket, forcing her to bring her closer to him.

She glared at him, her mouth digging into the cloth gag; she could be spitting insults his way if she could.

"Your look annoys me," he uttered. His knife dug into her chest, causing a dull thud to resound through their ears. He twisted it for good measure, then shoved her off the rump of his horse. Her body, still bound, slipped off. Just before she hit the ground, another flash lightened up the area; Rivaille took the chance to utilize Annie's Gear and was in the air within a matter of seconds.

As he flew up, he saw Reiner and Bertolt leading his horse away, gaining ground near Hanji. He could see her turning her head in confusion, shouting something that was drowned out by the chaos.

Eren had, as though reluctantly, swatted away at those closest to him, trying to gain enough space all the while avoiding harm to anymore. His mere presence was damaging to his reputation as mankind saw a need to have fear. However, it wouldn't matter once he gets into the safety of their convoy.

Rivaille whirled through the air, his focus solely on Eren. He had a quick run-in with a soldier but ended him quickly with a draw of his sword. He drew another blade and pressed on, finally shooting a grappling hook on Eren's neck and then making a haste ascent to his side. He landed on his shoulder, sure that he was going to move so suddenly.

Peeking below, he saw men rushing out to fight; from his height he could see their guns going off like fireflies, though their aim was poor.

"Brat!" Rivaille addressed him.

Eren's Titan threw a quick glance at him before stepping off to walk against the tide. The more guns fired, the more smoke was released, thus, creating a haze that slowly covered the ground; steam also rose as Eren's regenerative powers came into work, healing him after the wounds he received were inflicted.

"I don't care what fucking thing you're doing with Erwin, you're coming with me!"

Rivaille stepped off his shoulder, falling briefly and then shot two grappling hooks once more. He drew himself to the nape of Eren's neck. Just as he raised his blade, another pair of grappling hooks shot themselves from nowhere; much to his horror, one of them impaled him through his right forearm. The pain didn't register until he saw blood drawing itself out.

He lost feeling in his right hand and he was forced to release his hold on the grip of his sword; his hand violently shook as he let out a shriek at the onslaught of pain. Eyes ablaze, he turned his head to see the assailant dash passed him and take position at Eren's neck. Looking up with adrenaline kicking in, he recognized him to be Erwin.

"FUCK YOU, ERWIN!" Were the first words in greeting him. The pain seared through him. He screamed once more,**"FUCK YOU!"**

_He broke through the bone!_

"I thought you were some soldier!" Erwin apologetically shouted, trying to retract the hook, the sickening pop of it resounded through the ears as it dislodged itself from Eren's skin. Rivaille could feel the cable in through his flesh and broken bone as Erwin brought it back once more. He shrieked as blood poured over him; the hook couldn't retract through his arm. "Oh shit, Rivaille, you'll have to cut it!"

For the first time, he felt a sense of fear wash over him. Panic had settled in, mankind's strongest soldier had felt the fear he had pushed away for years. As he hung off of Eren's neck, he tried to focus and yet his mind was preventing him from processing the situation.

-...-

_She laid next to him on her side, drenched in sweat. Their legs were entangled while his hands were at her waist, drawing her close to embrace her. Her hand was caressing his hair lovingly as she let out a content sigh. He had closed his eyes but he could imagine her grinning lopsidedly._

_"Rivaille...I need to know something."_

_"What?"_

_"Did you spare me because you...love me?"_

_His mind stuttered, barely comprehending her question as her fingers began to caress his scalp, making his heart suddenly pound at the gentle contact. Hesitantly, he said with careful words,"I spared you because I can't live without you."_

_He opened his eyes once more to see her giving a rather sweet smile. __"Close enough."_

_"To what?" He murmured, but she silenced him with a kiss. He couldn't say it to her, he had just brought out those feelings and here she was, shoving them into his face out of the blue. He couldn't tell her, no, not yet. He just can't. He was just learning. He wanted-_

-...-

"Slice off your forearm, Rivaille, that's an order!" Erwin yelled, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Rivaille's mind drew back to where he was. He brought his left sword to his forearm, just below the grappling hook. He clenched his eyes, trying to think of another way out, but the situation didn't permit it. Taking in a sharp breath, he pressed down against his skin and let the blade sink into him in one slice. It was clean and he even cleaved through the bone, dismembering himself all too easily.

His eyes rolled back, it was too much. He felt himself falling and soon, he was upside down, his hooks still holding to Eren's skin. Blood rushed to his brain as he dangled there, a veil of blackness came to him.

Rivaille was slipping away from the world. To his right he saw blood trickling down from his stub; it sickened him beyond belief. He turned his head to the left and saw that a Titan had materialized not too far away; it was Annie, no doubt about it. He blinked once, twice, then on the third, he couldn't open them. He could hear Erwin shouting something but he had fallen to far into the abyss.

-...-

Jean was too late to be by Erwin's side, already Eren had leaped up from the saddle of his horse to utilize his Gear. He was too late as he saw the light flash before them all. At this he yelled,"Rivaille found another Titan-shifter, he's going to use her to distract everyone!"

Erwin, upon hearing the news, instantly tore after Eren without saying another word. From where he stood, he watched as a stranger in black zoomed into view, aiming for the neck of the Titan. Upon seeing this, Erwin purposely fired a hook to the man. Within a matter of seconds, the poor soul thought it best to sever his forearm. With a gut wrenching at the sight, he saw the arm fall to the ground amongst the smoke of gunpowder.

Now that he dangled from Eren's neck, Jean recognized him to be Rivaille.

He dismounted his steed, took Eren and Erwin's horses and tied them nearby, along with his own. He was in the air within a matter of moments, dashing through to be by Rivaille's side. When he got there, Erwin had cleanly sliced a chunk of Eren's neck, thus revealing the Titan-shifter embraced by his own flesh.

Erwin glanced down to see Jean, then called to him,"Remove his Gear and take him to the horses, we're leaving now!"

Jean nodded and braced himself against Eren. His hands released the grips and reached over to Rivaille; the ex-Corporal was passed out. His hands fumbled at the straps until he found that he carried a second knife on his person. He hacked away through the belts and straps, taking most of what he can and removing them. His work was nearly done, all that was left was to remove the fan system.

He looked up at Erwin; the man had successfully pulled Eren out of the body and was preparing to leave.

"Hurry it up!" Erwin urged, he was looking to the left. Jean took a moment to look in his direction to see that a second Titan had appeared and was now advancing upon them. It lifted a hand and was ready to swat them like flies. Jean's hands were shaking by now, and somehow, with a taut tug, he released Rivaille from his Gear; the man was now free falling.

With both Eren and Rivaille free of their traps, Jean and Erwin retracted their hooks and dropped down, barely missing the giant hand that easily knocked Eren's now vaporizing Titan. The shouts were loud as the soldiers were brought to focus on the second Titan. Jean had managed to take a hold of Rivaille's waist and then hold him close; his hands reached for the grips and he shot his grappling hooks once more.

They whirled by a group of soldiers as they fired their rifles, yet they weren't aiming for the two that flew too close.

The next thing Jean knew, he landed by his horses, falling to the ground with Rivaille crashing underneath him.

Erwin came into view with one arm carrying Eren.

"Leave one horse," he said as he flung Eren into his saddle. He mounted as well, then waited for Jean.

Jean brought his attention to Rivaille. Half of his right arm was missing; he had sliced just a little but passed through the joint. Unconsciously telling himself, Jean took off his own jacket and wrapped it around the wound in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. With that done, he got up, hauled Rivaille's limp body onto his horse, and then grimly said,"He's going to bleed to death."

"At least take the body," Erwin told him, voice unwavering. They watched as the second Titan began to trash about the now decomposing body of Eren as it released more steam. Under the cover of white and gray, the pair ran through the haze to freedom beyond the Inner Gate.

-...-

"Advance!" Hanji ordered. When she had noticed Rivaille, Bertolt, and Reiner had disappeared, it was her turn to take up the lead. She remained behind them but was the head of the party.

They had just narrowly made it through the Gate. After a moment of darkness through seven meters, they emerged out of the other side, only to be greeted by the unmoving guards that had formed a protective line; they were the Military Police.

It was at the sight of them did Mike shout to Sasha,"Avoid the Marquis! Avoid him but take down the others!" He aimed and fired, taking down one of the two dozen men that stood there. Sasha took to his word and let loose another arrow, then quickly drew another. Their assault continued until she was fresh out of arrows and he was gone with bullets.

"Ymir, Christa, go! Petra, the rifle!" Hanji called.

The two girls ahead of her had sped up their horses to be by Mike and Sasha; simultaneously, Petra tossed Mike a loaded rifle for him to fire once more as Sasha stowed away her bow and took to using a firearm. Shots rang once more.

By the time they reached the thin blockade, only three guards still stood upon horses that hadn't spooked just yet. They fired in a glorious barrage, nailing the three guards with their steel and leaving them dead in a thick haze of smoke. It was a massacre of two dozen soldiers, all fell quickly to them within seconds. As they raced on, their horses stepped over bodies, uncaring for who they were.

Just ahead by half a kilometer was the said Marquis that Mike had ordered to avoid. He had taken to falling back with another rider by his side. When they caught up to him, Mike spurred his horse faster and shouted to him, soon, they were brought to a canter, then a trot, finally, a walk. Exhausted and still holding the thrill of the kill in their hearts, they halted, each one of them panting; even Armin was left shaking from his spot.

Hanji looked at each one of them as she watched Mike, the Marquis, and the servant exchange words. She then brought her attention to the Military Police as they laid dead in a heap. Each carried a rifle yet it seemed that they were too stunned to use them.

_Perhaps they were fazed by the sight of Titans appearing._

A sharp pain came from her shoulder. Grasping at it, she looked to her left and found that a bullet had burrowed deep into her (she figured she might have caught it back in the Karanese); biting her bottom lip, she tried to cover it with her hand. One moment, the pain radiated throughout her body; the next, it was gone. She observed it closely, watching in wonder as her flesh and skin began to mend itself before her very eyes.

The bullet had apparently been pushed out as the hole was closing in a visible vapor. This phenomenon lasted for only a minute, then it was gone and the steel ball popped out; her hand caught it and she gazed at it, eyes wide.

The pain. It was gone. The wound. It was mended. The bullet. It was between her fingers.

"...oh my god," was all she could say. She turned her horse, she had to blurt out the success of her experiment; it happened right in her body. She successfully Regenerated!

_Just like a Titan!_

She was met by Ymir, who had rode beside her as everyone's backs were turned, she lowly spoke,"I saw that."

"It doesn't necessarily mean I'm a Titan, this was achieved through science...or, as Rivaille would put it, _fucking around_," she said almost too proudly.

Ymir rolled her eyes, her head shaking. "You're lucky it was only me, should it had been Petra or Mike, you'd have a problem in your hands." She looked ahead of her towards the Gate. "What happened to Bertolt and the other two?"

"They might have dropped back to deploy Annie," Hanji said, both had decided to drop the subject for the moment.

"You don't think they were captured, were they?"

The sudden sight of Weiss finally catching up to them was a bit comforting to Hanji; she had seen him slip out of sight earlier when they were making a break for the other side. He leaped over a body and regrouped with everyone, his tongue dangling while his body shook from exerting so much energy.

A roar came from the other side, the roar was that of a Titan. However, it wasn't Eren's calling.

The longer they stood there, the more Hanji dreaded that the worst had happened. The rush of joy dissipated and was replaced by fear, the fear that Rivaille would never emerge from the smoke. She left no word to Ymir as she clucked her tongue and raced for the Wall once more; Ymir followed suit.

_Rivaille...I can't live without knowing you're alive. But there's more to it than why you let me live...you don't realize it yet, but I can see-_

It was just by the Gate when a pair of riders came galloping passed them, not stopping to see who they were. Hanji and Ymir whirled their horses around to catch them as Hanji swore she had seen Rivaille being one of the riders, she shouted over to them in a shaking voice,"Rivaille!"

One turned his head to reveal Jean. He turned away, facing the front. Only when the pair stopped at the convoy did the two women bring their horses to a walk. Hanji walked her horse over to Jean, asking,"Where is Rivaille?" as she rounded him. She saw the man unconscious in Jean's arms. Her focus was brought to him so much that she disregarded Erwin's presence as he drawn attention to himself through Sasha and Armin. "What...happened?"

_Please be alive..._

Jean, face drenched in sweat and red from the fighting, gave her a glassy eyed look. Reluctantly, he moved back his arm to reveal Rivaille's whole body. Her heart fell to the floor upon seeing Jean pull the makeshift bandage of a jacket back to show Rivaille's missing forearm. At this, she could only respond,"I have a cure."

"Are you touched in the head!? He's missing his arm!" Jean exclaimed. "We need fire to cauterize him!"

As he shouted, they all turned to him. Hanji nodded, distantly telling him,"Yes, get him to a fire...I have more of my formula in my lab, I...I can fix this!"

"He's losing blood, Hanji!" Erwin yelled as she turned her horse once more to race for the Gate. He broke after her, gaining speed quickly and then overtaking her; his horse blocked hers and prevented her from going any further. "I order you to stand down-"

"I know what I'm doing!" She shot at him. "You...you wanted me dead, me and him both, you sent him to kill me! For all you are, you're no longer my Commander! Who am I to take orders from you!? You're supposed to be dead!"

_I'm becoming irrational..._

She reached to her side and drew out her rifle to aim it at him. Tears had risen from her, she tried to hide it as best she could but in the midst of her panic and outburst, she could no longer hold it in.

_...because I'm scared of losing him._

"Hanji, just calm down," Erwin calmly told her. Only now did she noticed Eren was sitting before him, unconscious as well.

"You...don't tell me what to do!"

He pressed on,"I knew he couldn't kill you, look, I'll explain myself once we get Rivaille away from here-"

"Shut up...shut the fuck up!" Her hands trembled, her breath shook. "I...I don't want to do this!"

"You think this was easy for me!?" Erwin bellowed his worst, his cool slipping out of place. "You think...sending Rivaille to kill you was easy? You think I enjoyed watching my men be butchered before my eyes!? Go ahead, kill me if you must! Rid me from this world, but know that I'm just as much as a pawn in this as you were! You...killing me, you'll be no different than those who justified your death! Everyone's death!"

His words echoed through her mind despite her vain attempt to block them all out.

Hanji undid the safety, she didn't want to. She spoke out of turn in the heat of her panic. She tried to get herself together, she tried, honestly. And...she lowered her rifle. Her eyes burned and so she wiped her face clean. It grew silent amongst them as she wept, the butt of her rifle was pinned to the saddle, she leaned against it to support herself.

_Why did I snap at him? I could have killed him and yet...I didn't. This feeling, it's not what Rivaille felt, but there's something in Erwin I feel that I should trust him. Despite what he had sanctioned Rivaille and Mike to do, I still..._

"I'm sorry," she muttered, she felt Erwin bring a hand to clap on her shoulder.

"It's only natural to feel betrayed," he told her, his voice even. He released her and walked away. "You have a cure for this?"

He was referring to Rivaille.

Another cry from a Titan resounded from the other side; whatever was happening on the other side had surely broken into Hell. She saw the Gate of Wall Rose begin to close.

Shakily, she nodded as she followed and gathered her bearings. "A cure, yes, I discovered a way to Regenerate; I could heal Rivaille with it but the needed materials are in my lab back in the headquarters."

"The Marquis can supply you with what you need," he calmly said when they approached Rivaille,"regardless, we need to stop the bleeding soon, else there's no chance for him."

"No, I need the blood of a Titan," she told him, voice hoarse from her yelling. She stopped by Jean and took to examining Rivaille. She swallowed hard and then motioned for Jean to give her Rivaille. After a few moments of struggle, she hauled him onto her horse to hold him, keeping him in place. "There's a stock in my laboratory, I need someone to get it."

Then a voice so familiar and dreadful came to her, drawing their heads to look to the speaker; Hanji was the only one who couldn't bring herself to see the Marquis. "I can call for someone to send for your materials once the chaos dies down."

"Many thanks," Erwin told him, Hanji was the only one who didn't look up.

"Hnm, yes, for now you need to get that man a fire before he bleeds to death. You, redhead," the man addressed Tobias,"do you have a light and torch?"

Tobias's rough reply came by,"Yeah, Armin, there's a torch and some matches in the back crate in the corner. Zoe, put Rivaille in the cart."

She obeyed, taking her horse over to the cart. Petra and Armin rose up from their seats and took Rivaille's body, within a moment's notice, Armin had lit a torch and held it just above his head. Hanji dismounted, saying,"Petra, here, you ride," as she clambered on into the cart. Petra gave a worried look as she mounted the sorrel. Soon enough, Hanji herself was holding the torch to Rivaille's arm while Armin held it up.

She had to shift herself around so that she could sit with her Gear still attached to her waist.

"It's not best to stick around," the familiar voice advised,"we need to get moving before they decide to open the Gate again and send out reinforcements."

"Agreed," Ymir responded from behind.

"What about Bertolt and Reiner?" Christa asked.

"Forget about them, they never wanted to be with us in the first place. Besides, it's too late, the Gate is shut..."

Tobias snapped the reins and their wagon began to groan into movement. Soon, they were walking. Quiet murmurs came from the surrounding people, yet Hanji was too engulfed in healing Rivaille. By then, she had managed to quiet her mind, she had managed to bring herself to an operational level; she remembered only now that panicking would get one nowhere.

The flames hissed against flesh as she treated Rivaille the best she could. She watched in disgust as she attended him, Armin remained silent.

"How's Mikasa?" She asked, being unable to check on her.

"She's still breathing, her stitches hadn't come undone either," Armin reported. Erwin rode by, Armin turned his head to see Eren fast asleep in the former Commander's lap. "Eren!"

"Take him," Erwin said as he easily hefted Eren towards the blond. Hanji took a hold of Rivaille's arm to allow Armin the freedom to retrieve his friend. The Titan-shifter was laid down over the wooden panels that covered Mikasa. The cart began to feel cramped so Armin ended up sitting atop one of the crates.

"What happened to Rivaille?" Hanji asked loud enough for Jean and Erwin to hear.

Erwin slowly confessed,"I...mistook him for being a soldier so I deliberately fired a grappling hook at his right forearm. The only way for me to retract it was to slice it off. Rivaille did just that." He went away from her to give her space. "It was a fault on my part, I was too focused on getting Eren out."

No more words were exchanged between Hanji and anyone. She diligently worked and was relieved that the bleeding had been brought to a stop by the time the sun had begun to set. She peeled off her own jacket and used it to cover his newly cauterized wound. She laid him against the crate and undid her Gear, propping it against a barrel.

Exhausted, she handed Armin the torch then sat to the floor, bringing Rivaille into her arms and then holding his arm up to prevent it from bleeding once again. Tiredly, she glanced around. Throughout her laborious task, she had failed to notice that they had left the Karanese altogether, now they were in open fields of farms. A tired sigh escaped her lips, she couldn't help but lean against a barrel to sleep in the peace and quiet lull of the countryside and the calm voices of those speaking to one another.

-...-

In the cool air of the night, Isidor took a moment to ride by the side of the cart. Through Armin's torch, he found Hanji fast asleep. His eyes were fixated on her, his lips curled into a smile at her sleeping form. His hand reached to her, to touch her hair, and he did; his hands undid her ponytail to let the brown locks fall and drape over her shoulders. His fingers ran by them, each twitching in excitement.

He muttered under his breath,"I found you...Walls be praised that you live."

Mike coughed loudly when he had taken notice of this. Isidor withdrew his hand as the blond man trotted his horse in between the cart and Isidor, telling him,"A good night, isn't it, sir?"

"...yes, a good night," he said, satisfied with just catching her scent with his hand. He trotted himself to the head of the convoy to be with Fiete.

When he had gone, he looked over to Hanji, then his eyes shifted towards Petra. For once, he could catch Petra's scent to be much more accentuated than Hanji's own. He let out a relieved sigh, he was glad that Petra had survived this far. They were all free, each of them, and they could do as they see fit. He approached her when he remembered what they had loosely promised over a bottle of vine. "Stop your horse."

Petra, tired and weary from concern of Rivaille, done so. "What's wrong? Am I off center with the saddle? This horse has no withers so it keeps slipping..."

She let out a tired yawn, then he leaned over the side of his saddle, his free hand going to her chin to tilt her head towards him. He stooped low for her and planted a kiss to her cheek.

Petra pulled back, the feint torchlight showed that she had a slight blush. "W-what was that for?"

Mike straightened up in his saddle. "Uh...I'm just glad that you're alive and well."

It was quiet between them. Hesitantly, she brought her hand towards him, in turn, he took it. Side by side, they rode on, fingers laced together.

She accepted him.


	20. Chapter 20

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

**A/N:** Wow! Twenty chapters!? I can't seem to stop writing, haha. Honestly, I have no idea how long this story will go on.

It started as a spin-off from Musashi's LeviHan doujin "Flap Your Wings" (remove the underscores):  
ht_t_p:/_/_heichousface_.tumblr._com_/post/_547775 _32989/_flap-your-wings-levihan

My intention was that this story would follow the LeviHan relationship but will focus on the larger picture as it builds up. Of course, once again, you see characters going OOC (on purpose of course) due to the circumstances I have thrown them into, haha. For a certain someone who had told me earlier in the month, I wanted to play the trust game on who can trust who, bonds of comrades, past experiences getting in the way of decisions, etc.

It was not meant to directly follow Musashi's story but scenes from the doujin are mentioned here and built up into it.

Regarding the POV, there are chapters that focus solely in third-person; one such as this will go into third-person omniscient. I do weave in and out of perspective, and during the last couple chapters, some scenes are written separately, but in the reality, they are simultaneously happening.

Other than that, thank you guys so much for your support, especially those who review, follow, favorite, and lurk.

ALSO, manga spoilers are abound in this story.

* * *

Ymir, Christa, and Sasha rode side by side at the far back of their group. The panting of Weiss was duly noted as they spoke amongst themselves.

"We're free of the Wall and everything we trained for, aren't you going to leave?" Ymir questioned.

Sasha shook her head. "Tobias needs help going to my village, I'll be staying with you guys until we get Mikasa to a safe place to recover...and with Rivaille injured, the cart's more needed to carry them both. Besides...I don't see why I should leave anyway. It...comforts me to be around you guys."

"You're holding up well, much better than earlier," Christa commented pleasantly, trying to lighten up the mood. It was true. Sasha had been quiet for most of the days they had been together; she only spoke when spoken to and she seemed to be focus on other things rather than the people around her. Her mind fixated on whatever task she was doing, Weiss, and food.

Said girl gave a half-smile. "I'm trying."

"Get over whatever it is, it bothers me as much as you try to hide your accent," Ymir abrasively scoffed out of the blue.

Christa was taken aback but Sasha held up her hand, silencing her. "No, it's fine, she can berate me as much as she pleases."

It grew quiet between them.

Elsewhere, towards the front, ahead of Tobias, Jean rode alongside Erwin and Isidor. Fiete kept a distance from them, giving them a needed space so that they may converse without the worry of being listened to; at least, that was what Erwin requested.

Jean was given an extra torch to hold and light their way. He cleared his throat as Erwin solemnly spoke,"...perhaps what Hanji had said is right, the others might be already following her example."

"Does the woman trust you?" Isidor asked. "It looked like she did, she couldn't pull the trigger."

Erwin rubbed his nose against the back of wrist, then sniffled. "Hm. That's comforting at the most, and there's still something to salvage from everyone else. I doubt Rivaille would be willing to listen after what I've done to him, as for the others I would find it understandable if they have grown to be wary of me, like him. From what I can tell, Hanji could be leading them in his stead, a proxy, they'd be more adamant to listen to her."

He glanced over his shoulders to see Mike and Petra conversing; his eyes fell to their hands as they both laced their fingers with one another.

"And them too."

"Proving loyalty will be most difficult," Isidor advised,"perhaps if you were to buy them or have leverage, they would turn to you as their leader once more."

"I'm not like you," he deadpanned. "Trust isn't something bought by coin."

"Well, you have half a dozen people armed and ready to shoot, and you have your back to them. Then again, they're exhausted from today's escapade...I am as well, killing you will be the last thing on their minds."

"Sir," Jean broke in, they both looked at him as though they had forgotten he rode by them. "How far is the Hermiha from here?"

"Two days worth of riding," Isidor drawled,"and if we keep away from the main roads, make it four. Our destination, however, is up to Zoe." Jean raised a brow. "Ah, I meant Hanji, it rests on her. Speaking of rest, we've traveled far enough for tonight, you suppose we make camp soon? Erwin?"

Erwin pointed to a path breaking into their route. "There's a river and thicket five kilometers from where we stand. We'll rest there."

-...-

Horses were tied to trees and given buckets of water to drink. Saddles and Gears rested in the bushes, rifles were kept nearby. A roaring fire was made in the center of it all.

Eren had awoken to the sound of pots clanging and people shuffling about. His head spun, slightly fuzzy of recent events, he tried to bring himself up as his hand reached up and out to feel the rough surface of a crate. Using it as leverage, he brought himself to sit up, his other hand went to rub his head.

"You're awake?" A familiar voice came to him, but before he could register any recognition, he was greeted by arms wrapping around him, embracing him.

"Eren!"

"A-Armin?" He uttered, his eyes opened to see the familiar, blond head. His hands went up to hold him as well. "You're alive..."

He nodded and sniffled. He was crying.

"Mikasa. Where is she?"

Armin withdrew, his hands wiping his face clean, and gently pushed Eren to sit on one of the crates. Hastily, he pulled at three planks on the bottom of the cart, letting them clatter over the edge and onto the grass, to reveal Mikasa sleeping soundlessly in the hidden compartment. Her red scarf covered her neck, accentuating the white dress she wore during her slumber. One could have said she was a mock-up of Sleeping Beauty from the old tales they heard.

Eren reached towards her, but the female voice, who he now addressed as Hanji, told him,"She's got stitches, best avoid her torso."

He took her warning to heart and brushed a few strands of Mikasa's hair, tucking them behind her ear. "How did she-?"

"Long story," Armin muttered, facing away.

"Hey, I-"

"Eren," Hanji warned,"just...just not now, we're not right in our heads and we need time to gather our bearings."

He turned his head to see her sitting on the floor, not to far. In her lap was Rivaille, sleeping quietly, though his right arm was held up by Hanji's head. She made no effort to hide his dismembered arm. Eren backed away in shock, eyes wide. "D-did I do that to him!?"

"It was Erwin, on accident, he says," she bitterly corrected him. "Both of you, get out of the cart. Go eat whatever Tobias made...and if you can, please bring me something as well."

Armin reached out to him, tugging at his sleeve. "C'mon, let's go."

They got out of the cart, though Eren took a moment to stretch his limbs. Armin led him to the fire where everyone gathered around for their evening meals. The redheaded tavern keeper was bent over a pot, stirring it before taking his ladle out to serve Sasha. She went to her small bedding (everyone had blankets for themselves, packed courteously by Petra) and curled by her companion.

Weiss was the first to raise his head at Eren's approach, ears prickling upward towards him. Sasha followed it and saw Eren, then she looked away back to her soup. Armin brought his friend to sit at his own bed where he had a bowl ready. From somewhere, Christa handed him another after greeting Eren,"It's been a while."

Eren tried to offer her a smile as Armin got up to serve the both of them; he got a third bowl from somewhere. "Sure has. This is everyone?"

He looked around. Ymir was sitting by Christa, though she was staring absentmindedly at the fire as if she were contemplating. Elsewhere, Jean was attending to the horses with Erwin by his side. Across the fire was the cart where Hanji's back was turned to them; Armin came up to her and was handing her her meal.

"Petra and Mike are out to patrol the area."

Ymir let out a snorting laugh though she straggled it when Christa lightly slapped her.

"Were there others?" Eren asked tentatively.

Ymir answered,"Bertolt and Reiner were lost when Rivaille went to go fetch you. They could be dead, they could be alive, either way, they weren't planning on coming with us. All that matters is that we came out...they were the price of fetching you out of that Titan, you were not in our plans of escape."

Eren froze.

"You're in debt to him now," she added, then she got up as Armin came back with Eren's soup. She headed over to Hanji, leaving Christa to not add her retort. He was handed his bowl while Armin sat beside him, quietly beginning to sip at his own.

"Erwin was supposed to get me," Eren flatly told her, slowly putting two and two together. He hadn't seen what occurred behind him, only knowing that Erwin was telling Rivaille to slice away at something; he knew little that their run-in would cost a limb. Lost in his thought, he brought the rim of his bowl to his lips and drank away at the broth.

"He did, from what Hanji said."

Elsewhere, by the horses, Jean was braiding at his horse's mane, trying to keep it neat as the hair grew longer than most. As his fingers nimbly ran through the thick tresses, he continued on,"...but somewhere, along the lines, Hanji's outburst unconsciously speaks for all of us. Who are we to trust you after you issue our deaths?"

"Yes, but who are you people to trust Isidor?" He countered, leaning against against the tree with folded arms. One braid was complete, Jean tied it off and began to work on the next one. "Besides myself, Rivaille and Hanji know of him better than all of you. I'll tell you, the man is dangerous, and it's another situation to be in debt to him."

"You saw fit to use him as your own pawn to get us out. Let me guess, you used Hanji as your pull to get to him."

"You're smart," Erwin approvingly told him. They brought their gazes to Isidor as he sat on a stool, crouched over and reading some book while keeping a bottle nearby; his hand reached for it to drink. Fiete laid at his side, man tipped his bottle to high and ended up falling backwards onto the grass, seemingly passed out with the book landing not too far from his outstretched hand.

Erwin continued,"He has a disturbing obsession with the woman. We could have killed him back at the bookstore but what good will a body do for us at the Gate? At least he's alive. Once Rivaille comes to, things will get interesting yet I dread for it."

Jean looked over at Hanji, he saw Ymir speaking to her but couldn't catch their words, he brought his eyes back to the braid. "The book Isidor's reading, it's Hanji's journal. He forced it off of me back there. I read a couple pages, figured that he was here for Hanji. All in all, you promised for him to see her once he gets us out."

Erwin let out a low hum in response, indicating that he was right once more. It grew quiet for a bit, then Jean picked up the conversation once more.

"I had a close friend once who wanted to join the Military Police to be in service with the King. Unfortunately, he didn't live through Trost...if he did, and he were to join up with that branch, I bet he would have reconsidered at the sight of people like Isidor," Jean said solemnly. "Then again, he wanted to enforce justice, how could you when the government you serve is unjust?"

"You wanted to join the MP?"

"That was my goal at first," he replied,"but after today, I'm sort of glad I hadn't. I'd be hunting after my friends here under a false conviction."

Another braid was finished. He stopped in his work, resting a shoulder against his horse and leaning against it to rest. He faced Erwin completely.

"You know, I've never seen a Marquis in person."

"Hardly anyone does," Erwin admitted,"despite holding title, not all of them are necessarily related to the King. There are a few that come as replacements or twisted the system in their favor. Isidor is related to the King himself, through and through, but he was the fourth child of the last Marquis of Hermiha. It's not an old story, what he's done has been done before, it's just the means and how he did it is what makes him different than the others.

"Fourth son of the six Marquis, Malthe von Hermiha, Isidor was the last in line to be heir to the title. He took to operating in the Underground Mall after he was shipped away to the Karanese to do the bidding of his family. At one point, he met Rivaille and worked with him on numerous occasions; Rivaille himself was in the Karanese for business, so leaving his assets alone to others in the Inner Districts made his own subordinates slack. Eventually, Isidor saw the opportunity and promised official positions to numerous men, it gave him a foothold in the criminal world and landed him complete control of the human trafficking. Unfortunately, you couldn't place a hand on him due to his protection of the father. With all this power and revenue Isidor was gaining, he murdered his own father and brothers, then rose to take his place."

Jean was left speechless. Upon seeing his face, Erwin gave a shrug.

"Again, it's not an uncommon story," he told him,"it's just that now he still holds great power in the criminal underworld...no one is willing to arrest him because he was the one who gave them power. I'm familiar with Fritz Gervas, he's an example of one of those men. When you were planning for the MP, you never realized how fucked up their own system was, huh?"

Defeated by this, Jean shook his head.

"Most of the high ranking officers hail from Isidor's pocket. Fortunately, he's been harmless this passed decade and never sought to overthrow the government. But be careful when I say he's dangerous," he warned him fairly. "He can play off as being too stupid and aloof but think about it, he's a man who slain his own family for his title. Power hungry bastard is what I can say about him, a deviant."

"What about Hanji? What does he personally have to do with her?"

"That's another story, I'm only well-versed between him and Rivaille; I was the one who reeled Rivaille into the Recon Corps. If you want to know, go ask Hanji yourself. I only know so much as to use her to convince Isidor to come all the way up to the Karanese."

Jean gave an uneasy nod.

"Come to think of it...I'd step in myself and warn the others about Isidor, but I'm sure that Hanji can do it herself; none would listen to a man who issued their deaths. Like you mentioned earlier, she'll be Rivaille's proxy for the moment and, hopefully, will avert them all from falling to their knees for him. They're more adamant to listen to her. For now, I'm afraid I'm at her mercy."

Habitually, he ran his hand over his mouth as though he were wiping his words away. He saw the work of braids done so far, he stepped away from the tree. His fingers rolled through one, neat lock, scrutinizing Jean's handiwork.

From a distance, Ymir leaned against the edge of the cart.

Hanji tilted her head back to drink from the bowl Armin had given her. When she had her fill, she placed the bowl on a barrel and then examined Rivaille's arm. "...I overheard Bertolt and Reiner speaking with Annie."

"When was this?" She asked, voice moist from the broth.

"Three days ago when you told them to get the barrels from the cellar."

"And what were they saying?"

"They were planning on having Annie kidnap Eren when they saw the chance. It's funny though," Ymir mused, Hanji tiredly glanced at her but lacked the means to glare,"that Rivaille brought them one step closer with their plans but then suddenly forced them to take two steps back. It makes you wonder if they are planning something else, should they have not been captured."

Hanji's brows furrowed, the cryptic taunts coming from the raven haired woman were disturbing her beyond belief. "Do they have the means?"

"I'm just letting you know that those two are Titan-shifters as well. Who knows? They could be specifically the Armored and Colossal Titans that all of you dread, Bertolt mentioned something about Reiner being able to smash through the Wall."

"If that's the case...they would have smashed through the Karanese's Outer Gate to escape with themselves," she dreadfully said, realization hitting her harder than the fastest horse in the Recon Corps,"or perhaps the Inner Gate if they are so intent on taking Eren. Ymir, why didn't you tell me this before!?"

She shrugged. "I thought we weren't going to bring Eren with us. And I would have told Rivaille, I guess letting you know makes you our leader. You'll have to call the shots-"

Hanji delicately removed Rivaille from her lap to settle him on the floor. She propped up his arm and ensured he would stay in place. Swiftly, she rounded over the edge of the cart to land with a solid thud by Ymir. Her eyes spoke of frustration of being denied such information. Bitterly, she spat,"Just because I'm no longer a part of the military, it doesn't mean I have no empathy for mankind. We could have restrained those two, Rivaille could have..." She shook her head. "...you know what? Thanks you, Ymir, you inadvertently fucked humanity over!"

Ymir didn't flinch nor did she move, she kept a hard, cold look that said that her choice could be justified.

Hanji decided to hit her where it would hurt, though not physically. "The Garrison could only do so much and the MP can barely do jack-shit. When Wall Rose falls, we lose territory. Without the Recon Corps to carry the offensive and those two, no, three Titan-shifters will be smashing through Wall Sina in search of Eren. You'll have nowhere to run after that! You fucked yourself and Christa! What happened to keeping her safe? Did you think that through?!"

By then, her voice was heard throughout the camp. Heads turned to her.

"You hadn't!" Hanji snapped cynically.

Hanji reached into the cart and reached for her own rifle.

"If anything went sideways, you know what would happen!"

She shoved Ymir away and stormed to the fire where Armin, Eren, and Christa were sitting. Her steps, purposeful and daunting, forced Eren and Armin to separate from Christa as she tried to get up. As she advanced towards her with both hands readying the flintlock, Ymir's voice boomed,"Don't touch her!" as she sprinted after her. "Don't fucking touch her! Please, she has nothing to-"

"Oh, she's everything to you!" Hanji shouted over Ymir's protest, it was too late for the woman to catch her. In a blink, Hanji had brought the barrel of the rifle to Christa's head; Ymir froze mid-step, her hand outstretched for Hanji. Christa, with her back turned, grew quiet and rigid, scared of what was behind her; she knew better than to turn and look.

Ymir reached over to Tobias when she saw that he was nearby, before he could give her room, she swiped a knife from his belt, then placed the edge of the blade to the palm of her hand. She gave a nod. "Yeah, she's everything, and I won't let you take her from me!"

Unlike earlier, when a shaking rifle was pointed at Erwin, Hanji now held it with confidence. She had lost reason to trust Ymir and, therefore, could bring herself to commit such a horrid act. The three of them were there in the cellar, they heard Rivaille's threat and knew all to well to his expectations; unfortunately, Ymir had done just as he had warned her not to.

With Rivaille rendered unable to speak, judgement was left to Hanji; she was already compromised from the start of it all, each of her decisions were taken on instinct with luck and trust helping her. At the sight of Rivaille's mangled arm, she had begun to operate on impulse, a sure sign of losing her composure altogether.

Erwin and Jean jogged closer to the unfolding scene. Everyone had eyes trained to the knife pressing against Ymir's palm, this gesture alone revealed who she was as self-harm was the sign of a Titan-shifter. At the instant, they decided to pick up on Hanji's cue, each of them grabbing their rifles (save for Erwin, Jean, and Eren) to aim them all towards Christa.

"...and you were saying you're at her mercy?" Jean whispered to Erwin as they watched behind Sasha as she cocked her weapon; he was referring to Hanji. "Look at her, she's losing her shit."

"We all are," Erwin murmured, eyes drifting to each of them,"but look at them, they're following her lead."


	21. Chapter 21

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: I've decided to take up continuing "Change of Gait" due to the high demand, go check it out!

* * *

_So long as she had the man who saved her alive, she could disregard the man who deceived her. As she sat in the cart, eyes trained on the drunk Marquis, the urge to shoot him began to overwhelm her. But she knew better, she had to keep him alive just a bit longer. They needed his resources and status to get by for the meantime.  
_

_It disgusted her that he had approached her in her sleep, she knew only by finding that her hair was pulled down; it sent a shiver down her spine at the thought of coming into contact with him. She brought her focus back to Rivaille, cradling hm and keeping him alive was her priority; she pushed away unpleasant thoughts of the past so that she could focus on what was at hand.  
_

-...-

"Listen, Hanji-"

Sasha whirled her rifle around to aim it at Erwin.

The Commander looked down at it, then raised his hands to show he never meant offense.

"Let him talk," Hanji demanded.

Reluctantly, the brunette returned to her original target.

"What is it, Erwin?"

"I propose that you send her out to get you your Titan samples, you said you need them to cure Rivaille, right?" He entreated. "You keep the girl here as insurance, Ymir goes out to the Karanese for your lab, then comes back to the Hermiha. And if you want it sooner, give her a deadline. Nothing wrong with paying her for an errand."

The woman stood there, thinking. Eren took his time to survey the surrounding people.

He had been locked up in the cell for a short time and yet he felt that everyone had changed as though they had gone through years of hardship. It was almost foreign to speak to most of them.

Jean was the first he greeted, he hadn't differed much from the Jean he knew. They passed an insult or two when they were traveling with Isidor. Nothing new except that they had enough pressure to put aside their differences. Plus, he was grateful that he tried to rescue him from prison.

Christa and Ymir...they seemed relatively normal. He hadn't interacted with them much over the years so he couldn't sense anything wrong.

Sasha had shown the greatest shift. Usually...well, immature and playful, he didn't need to speak to her to know she had become withdrawn. It was like she had been shaken hard enough by Keith Shadis to forget who she was. A quiet Sasha, or quiet woman, irked him; she looked like she carried a burden, her tired eyes did most of the talking. Right now, as he stared at her, she had this disturbing, bloodthirsty look in her eyes, it scared him.

Armin...poor Armin, he looked like a complete mess. When he spoke, it was like he was trying to hide something, like he was guilty. He was fidgety whenever Eren addressed him, as though he were waiting to be asked a certain question. Eren surmised that if he inquired about the origins of Mikasa's injuries, it would set Armin off in a panic. As advised by Hanji, he would figure it out later.

Finally, Hanji. He always viewed her as an eccentric that was somewhat approachable. She was helpful and kind to everyone, a huge make-up for the Titan obsession she proudly displayed. As she held the qualities of a leader, it wasn't surprising that the others would follow suit. However, there was something amiss. As if Rivaille's current state had caused her to go over the edge.

Something caused everyone to snap.

Eren felt that he couldn't recognize them at all.

They all held firearms up and against one person, one of their own. If they escaped the clutches of facing persecution, it would be considered hypocritical for them to kill one another. However, it wasn't hypocritical. Ymir was holding a blade to her skin, he wasn't an idiot to guess that she would transform into a Titan. Self-harm wouldn't do any good in a hostage situation unless you weren't exactly human to begin with.

At this, he didn't say anything, not even offer protest.

Christa was within arm's reach. She had wide eyes that bore into the flames of their campfire. But he could already tell that she was silently begging Ymir to not say anything stupid or offsetting.

Hanji cocked the gun tighter. "I don't take well for strangers touching my shit."

"If it comforts you...and everyone," Erwin added,"I'll go with her."

At this, Hanji began to slowly lower her rifle. Others did the same and held them at rest.

Ymir, however, kept her blade at hand, unmoving until Christa turned to throw herself at the taller woman's leg. At that moment, she had burst into years, scared witless by the tense silence. Ymir dropped the knife to the ground and fell to her knees so that she could hold Christa, letting her burrow her tears and cries into the crook of her neck. She kissed her forehead as if making sure she was alive.

"Oh my god," Christa broke out as Ymir hand her fingers through her hair.

While he hands were gentle, her voice was not. "You're a fucking bitch, you know that."

"You're lucky I'm not like Rivaille," Hanji snorted, glowering. "I don't care how you get the samples or who you kill, I just want them. They're contained in a frigid storeroom in the back of my lab." She fumbled around in her pockets, then produced a key to toss to Erwin. "Everything's labeled, just bring the whole crate with the glass undamaged; it's labeled as 'TITAN SERUM'. I expect you both to be gone before sunrise. If you're still within my sights, the girl goes."

"Agreed," Erwin told her, catching the silver piece. "How long do we have?"

"A week."

"And how the fuck are we supposed to find you?" Ymir spat.

Hanji began to pace with her rifle resting on her shoulders. She walked about, eyes focused on her. She looked over at the horses, then at the Marquis that slept, snoring loudly against the chair he sat earlier in. With Isidor's status, Eren figured that Hanji may be planning on having more use to herself; if not, she probably would have killed him by now for insurance.

After several paces around Ymir and Christa, she reached a decision. She stopped at the fire.

"We will be going to the Hermiha District with the Marquis (Erwin ought to lead you), hold up a bit there for a few days until Mikasa can defend herself, then leave for Petra's father in the North. At least, that's what I plan for myself and Rivaille, also with Mike. I could only offer myself so far as to get you out of the Karanese, what happens after is up to all of you. You can choose to follow or go your own paths...as far as I'm concerned, I have my own life to attend to."

She turned to Tobias.

"Watch the girl," she told him, then she stormed away to the cart.

Erwin took the initiative to approach Ymir.

Before he could catch their words, Armin got Eren's attention by saying,"Let's go to sleep."

"...yeah," he said as Armin unrolled a blanket on the ground. He padded it down for Eren, then went to lay in his own. Eren placed their empty bowls by the fire so that he could have room to lay himself own. He fell to his back to gaze at the stars.

As the fire roared, he overheard the Commander speak. "...can your Titan climb?"

"It's meant for climbing," Ymir answered over Christa. "What's the use of it? We can't go over the Wall without someone shooting us down."

"Did you notice the Garrison didn't fight us? It was only the MP."

"Alright, so we're gambling that the Garrison wouldn't shoot us...much less a man following a Titan up the Wall, that surely isn't going to set off the alarms."

"You don't have to transform into a Titan if you can take a Gear with you, Jean can lend you one."

Eren was broken off from their voices when Jean, himself, came to lay by Eren's head. "This entire thing wasn't meant to happen."

"What thing?" Armin asked. He wasn't asleep. None of them were save for the Marquis and his servant. They were too tense.

"Us being hunted down, us leaving what we worked for, us...just here, right now."

"And who are you going to blame?" Eren mused. It seemed everyone had to blame someone. He didn't understand why Hanji would hold Christa as hostage.

"God," Jean replied conversationally.

"Don't you mean the gods?" Armin inquired.

"No, God, as in Him." Eren saw Jean's hand point up for a moment. "God, up in Heaven, some almighty being that has twisted plans for us. It's a family thing, I'm not really a follower and I don't go with traditions and all. I don't even understand half the stories they tell me. It's all ancient stuff too, they talk about large bodies of water called oceans, things that the government bans us from learning."

Eren propped himself on to his shoulders in disbelief. "Like things that are beyond the Walls? They have religions for that!?"

"Sorta, I mean, they talk about lakes of fire. They also got mythical creatures too, some used to actually exist. You know...there are creatures other than Titans that eat humans, like this one whale ate a man who refused to share his practice with others."

"...what's a whale?"

"I dunno, probably something as large as a Titan. Didn't you hear me? It_ ate_ a man. Lives in an ocean too."

"I'm glad something like that doesn't exist here, it's enough having Titans around," Armin said, relieved. Eren laid back down. The subject of the outside world was something that soothed both of them, it was touchy and nostalgic, something they both needed, especially Armin. By the relaxed sigh, Eren could tell that Armin had found some grasp in peace.

"Well, we don't live near an ocean," Jean reasoned. "So...you guys are into the outside world stuff, huh."

"It's what I joined the Recon Corps for at first...and to slay all the Titans," Eren mused. "I refuse to live like cattle behind a fence, waiting for the butcher to kill me when needed."

"The butcher only comes when the cattle leaves the comforts of the fence."

"...shut up. We already went over this-"

"Hey, Jean, is it?"

They looked up to see Ymir standing over them. Jean rested his head against his hands as he folded them behind himself. He stared up at her. "Yeah, that's me."

"I need to borrow-...I need to take your Gear," she blatantly told him," if you're not planning on using it. Do you know where you're going?"

Jean licked his lip, thinking about his own course of action. After a moment, he answered,"I'm staying with these people for the meantime. Maybe I'll head North as well, start anew there."

"Give me your Gear," she repeated. Neither of what Jean said required a Gear.

"Fine, it's the one on the far right. A quarter of the gas is gone so use it sparingly when you go up the Wall," he warned.

She turned away, her business done.

-...-

At the first call of a songbird, Sasha was awoken by a hand shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to remember where she was. Before her, a dying fire smoldered in the morning air, letting loose ashes that clouded her eyes temporarily. She shook both the hand and stench away and turned.

"Sasha...I need you to do me a favor," the familiar voice of Ymir came.

She sleepily stared up at her from Weiss's belly as she had used him as a pillow.

Ymir, along with Erwin as agreed to the night before, was already dressed and ready, her horse and Gear at hand. Sasha got up and rubbed her eyes to see Erwin mounting his own horse from a distance.

She stretched and yawned,"Whatever it is...I'll do my best."

-...-

By the time Mike and Petra returned, Ymir and Erwin had been long gone, leaving the camp to awoken with one person at a time.

The first person to greet the two newcomers was Mikasa.

They found her sitting in the grass by Eren's sleeping form. Petra dismounted and greeted her,"You doing alright for yourself?" The raven haired girl glanced over to her, expressionless. "See, we got Eren for you-"

"Thank you for stopping me," was all she could say with a dry voice,"I'm grateful."

Petra's eyes were wide. _So the girl remembered what happened._ She gave her a nod and walked her horse to where the others tied their, Mike was busy giving water to his own, his eyes tired from the night before, though he had a slight smile. Despite their situation and task at hand being grave, they took a moment for themselves; she blushed at the thought, then smiled herself.

"Mikasa's up and awake," she informed him, giving him a playful push with her shoulder, though he didn't budge much.

"Yeah, I saw," he said. He handed her the bucket so that her horse could drink as well. "Still amazes me that there weren't any patrols, nothing at all."

"They were probably pulled in for the Karanese," she surmised, she then found him leaning over her, taking in her scent. She laughed under her breath as her horse sloshed its head in the bucket, happily drinking. Once done, they turned to face the camp. Mikasa hadn't moved from her spot, so they approached her once more. She looked over and up at them.

"How long has it been?"

"Four days for you, long story short, we're no longer a part of the Recon Corps. In any case, the military, we're just by ourselves," Mike briefed her,"but our goal is to keep you safe until you can fight for yourself, we won't just leave you on your own."

Mikasa took in his words, then replied,"I can be fine on my own."

"You have an injury that sliced through your muscles, it's a miracle you're up and about right now," Petra chided her. "If you can't get on a horse at the very least, you're under our watch."

There wasn't room for argument between them, Petra went away for the cart where she found Hanji sprawled out on the floor with Rivaille resting atop of her. She reached in, taking Hanji's shoulder and shaking her gently. The woman let out a soft groan, mumbled something about,"five more minutes", then awoke with her eyes groggily staring up at Petra.

"Hm...are Ymir and Erwin gone?"

Petra looked over her shoulder. She hadn't noticed it until now, but there were two missing horses from the trees. She looked back at her. "Yeah, they're gone."

"Good," she said, relieved,"you missed a lot last night."

"Fill me in later. How's Corporal?"

Hanji brought herself to sit up, then letting down Rivaille to the floor. She examined his arm by removing the bandages; there was no bleeding but the sight was sickening. The stench of blood and flesh reached her, she covered her nose as Hanji reported,"No signs of infection, though its swollen to hell...I need to clean him up though...again. He lost more blood than Mikasa, so...I fear he might not make it for Hermiha."

Petra's heart fell at the thought. Her feelings were still there for the man, and she had tried to move on to Mike, but the sight of him brought her back to him. She reached in to run her hand through his hair, ignoring whatever Hanji thought of at this. Amazingly, Hanji allowed her to touch him, she was more than glad to do so.

"She's up right now," Petra distantly told her, entranced by his black locks.

"Who?"

"Mikasa, she's by the fire with Eren. It's alright for her to be up?"

Hanji shook her head. "Bring her back."

Petra did so. She left Hanji for Mikasa. Upon approaching her, she told her,"Hanji wants you back with her. I promise, I'll get Eren up for you."

Compliant, she got to her feet. She stumbled a bit as she grabbed a hold of her abdomen, Petra offered her a shoulder but was denied to give help, she watched her return to the cart, then turned her eyes to Eren. He was sleeping not too far from Armin and Jean, all three of them were soundly sleeping though Jean had managed to wrap his blanket into a makeshift pillow to hold to his chest.

To the right was Sasha, then Christa. Fiete had arisen as well and was busying himself with serving his master.

Tobias had gone to fetch water from the river.

She nudged Eren awake. "Hey, I got a surprise for you."

Eren rubbed his eyes and got up, curious. This prompted Armin to awaken as well; both of them went to folow Petra to the cart. From there, they were greeted by Mikasa herself. She staggered to them, then threw her arms around Eren.

"You're alive," they heard Mikasa utter.

Eren nodded, a beaming smile came across his face as he held her back. "You're alive too, both of you guys."

Petra fondly watched their reunion, though she took notice that Armin kept his distance. Sure, they were friends, but he hadn't explained his part in Mikasa's incapacitation to Eren yet. She went to him and gave him a small push with her elbow. She whispered,"Go on, you can tell him later."

He was hesitant at first. Slowly, he went to them and found himself in their embrace. It was then that tears came across his eyes.

Hanji's voice rose out from the cart as she held fresh wrappings in her hands. "As much as this reunion is heartwarming, Mikasa's now awake; you three can make a conscious decision on what you want to do after she's healed up. I'm not letting her leave my sight for another week. The fact we're out in the open like this threatens her recovery; we're limited on medication and I can no longer give any because I have to save it for Rivaille."

"That blond man told me we're no longer a part of the military, is that right?" Mikasa asked.

"True. Though you will have to be careful on where you go nowadays, I'd best avoid the Southern parts-"

"I want to go beyond the Walls," Eren said with a firm voice,"my place is out there." They grew quiet to his decision, he hastily added,"It sounds selfish, I know, but it makes the most sense."


	22. Chapter 22

`I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: This is quite short, but I've been working on "Change of Gait", go check it out!

* * *

"May I ask why I'm in this with you?" Erwin finally asked after half an hour of silence between them.

They stayed away from the main road yet kept close enough to it for the fastest route.

"You offered yourself," she flatly told him as their horses were brought to a walk to give them a break. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her body as he grimaced at her response. A breeze blew by, causing her cloak to expose her body once more.

He shook his head. "Where did you come from?"

She didn't answer him, instead, she cantered off, leaving no room for him to ask. He pursued her until he caught on to her flank, eventually, he got to her side and they rode in silence save for the beating of hooves and slaps of their Gears. It went on, even as they passed by a small, hidden village whose people were still asleep. When they reached the end of it, the grandness of Wall Rose towered overhead.

They brought their horses to a stop and looked up.

"No one's fired at us," Ymir commented, scanning what she could see,"yet I don't see anyone-"

And then a dot came from the sky.

Erwin squinted, trying to make out what was heading towards them. After a minute, it was close enough for him to move his horse out of the way of whatever it was. Within a few blinks, a dead body had appeared, thudding sickeningly against the grass face first. He expected it to be a soldier, but his heart dropped when there was no Gear or uniform; it was a civilian, a child at that.

"The fuck..."

Screams rose from above.

More dots took shape.

"They're dropping civilians!" Erwin exclaimed, he kicked his horse and rode, Ymir followed closely.

Ymir shouted at him, as though expecting him to answer,"Why are there normal people on the Walls!?"

"I don't know! I really don't!"

All around him, bodies rained all around them. Some had limbs that were missing, others were still shrieking until they hit the ground, going silent. This continued on for nearly a half mile. One could have guessed that a fourth of the Karanese people were there, falling to their deaths. Erwin reached for his grips, telling her,"Switch to your Gear, we're scaling this."

So they did, quickly gaining height with their grappling hooks, barely missing the people all around them. One could have considered this Hell, seeing non-soldiers being so close without someone to catch them. There were too many people to even try to save, and their objective was what kept them going. They pressed on, going high and higher until they broke through the last meter, only to be blinded by the morning sun.

Erwin brought his cloak, which he borrowed from Jean, up to cover his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the blinding rays as he landed amongst a crowd of people; a few of the Garrison were about but paid mind to the civilians as they tried to usher them somewhere. Ymir appeared to his right, not bothered by the sun.

Her hand grabbed his sleeve, tugging at him to pull the cloth away from his eyes. He did so, no longer feeling strained.

"Come," she said, pushing passed a family. Erwin stayed closely behind her as she still held to his sleeve.

They pushed by people, trying to hide themselves amongst the crowd. Eventually, they broke through, ending up at the other side where there was enough space for them to stand and see the Karanese District. Upon reaching their perch, they froze, unmoving. Their blood ran cold at the sight before them.

A vicious gasp came from Ymir. "Oh my god...the bitch is right..."

By daybreak, when the sun had risen, Titans had overrun the Karanese.

With the Recon Corps gone and the Inner Gate closed, the Garrison had managed to salvage a tenth of the city's civilians. Any who had been injured or deemed too sickly were thrown over the edge on either side to distract Titans. The morning sun had greeted them with Hell.

-...-

Their group departed after their morning meal.

Hanji had taken to staying in the wagon for the rest of the trip, as did Eren and Mikasa; Armin had taken Christa's horse as she now sat by Hanji, she couldn't be trusted with her palomino. The rest quietly walked by, following the Marquis's lead despite his apparent hangover.

She was glad he hadn't approached her. At this point, Hanji could only deal with one thing at a time. Her hands stirred at a small bowl, mixing together a concoction she had gathered from Tobias's storage of medicinal herbs. It was time to dress Rivaille's arm with the needed formula, her hands shook, anxious from having to care for him.

Christa timidly reached over, offering to help.

"Thanks," Hanji told her quietly, giving her the bowl and spoon. Christa took to mixing it. "...my apologies for last night."

"Ymir violated your agreement," Christa simply told her, though she was nervous herself,"I don't understand why she wouldn't say anything if she knew."

Mikasa watched them, then turned over to Eren as their conversation drew on.

"Are we going to continue on with all these people?" She asked in a hushed tone.

Eren nodded. "For your sake, yeah...you need Hanji to keep you alive. She doesn't have medication for you but she knows what she's doing, even if we try to find a doctor, we wouldn't have enough coin to pay for services." He grimaced and looked at her torso despite it being covered by the cloth of her dress. "...what happened?"

Mikasa started slowly. "When Sasha lost her mind at seeing Connie, we all decided to flee since they were geared to killing us rather than speaking; the wall occultists we're up to this, I'm sure. I got worried, scared, the morning after, so I tried to head back to headquarters..."

_She armed herself to the teeth, ready to depart the first moment she had risen from bed. Armin and Reiner soundly slept in the other beds nearby._

_A sweeping look at them stalled her for a moment, but she knew that waking them up would prompt them to hold her back. Her heart hammered in her chest, she barely slept that night as she tossed and turned in the sheets, worrying for Eren. Whatever Sasha had seen was definitely not a good sign, whatever happened to Connie was even worse, whatever they were doing involved Eren._

_That was her mindset. It all had to do with Eren. As she tiptoed down the stairs hurriedly, her mind tried to formulate a plan on what to do, where to go, who to fight. Her largest guess would be that Eren would be held in the jail cells below the headquarters, beyond levels of the labs._

_She exited the bar._

_Why Reiner would lead her here was a wonder, but at least it was near the headquarters._

_With a foot out the door, the sound of horses galloping down the street caught her ear. She ducked back into the establishment, hoping that they didn't see her. But much to her horror, they arrived and halted their horses; a familiar voice came about, telling her,"It's me, Bertolt, we got horses for you to run with."_

_She flung open the door and saw Petra standing by._

_Bertold asked her,"Where's Reiner and Armin?"_

_"Upstairs," Mikasa told him as she mounted the horse nearest to Petra,"are we going back?"_

_"What?" Petra asked with a near laugh, face contorted in disbelief. "No! We're going elsewhere, Corporal has a place to-"_

_"Mikasa!" Armin's voice called from the bar._

_Reiner's came after. "Shit, she fucking left!"_

_They had awaken. At the sound of them, Mikasa turned her horse, trying to gain a distance from them. They would stop her from getting to Eren. She went down the road, uncaring for the morning commute. She had to find Eren, only then would she agree to leave. Her fears for him overtook her, she was driven to reach him. Soon enough, a set of hooves came thundering after her; Armin and Reiner had taken to use a horse to catch her._

_"You're not thinking right!" Reiner tried to reason with her as he caught up, horse galloping directly to her left. Only Armin wore his Gear._

_"Mikasa, I really, really don't want to do this! Please, we'll get Eren once we're safe!" Armin cried to her, whatever he was planning irked her but she brushed it away, only facing forward. When she ignored him and pressed on, she heard him release his grappling hooks. She watched him fly overhead and ahead of her. Distracted by him, she didn't notice Reiner slip himself onto her horse, settling himself behind the saddle._

_His arms wrapped her shoulders from below, then pulled upwards to immobilize her. She tried to wriggle away, her focus now on him. _

_"I have to get Eren!" She shouted to him, slamming her head back to bash him in the chin. _

_He let out a grunt at the pain, then bellowed,"DO IT!"_

_His voice boomed into her ear, it was a deafening call. Her eyes drifted upwards, only to see a blur of yellow diving for her with silver blades drawn. _

_Amongst the sudden appearance of Armin, she heard him scream,**"FORGIVE ME!"**_

Eren quietly took it in, nodding in understanding. She was at fault, but he wasn't going to say it. She said nothing more and leaned against the crate; Eren sighed and looked over his shoulder to see Armin, wide-eyed and shaking out of fear. He was listening in on them.

"I had no choice," was all that he could tell Eren, he looked ready to cry. So this was what he felt guilty for. Now, Eren understood Armin's reasoning.

"It's alright," Eren told him, trying to offer comfort with words. "I would have asked you to do the same."

"Really?"

"I would have," he reassured him with a nod, though he wasn't smiling. He glanced over at Mikasa to see she had fallen asleep. "...from what Erwin told me, we all rarely have a choice from here an out."

Hanji had finished administering Rivaille's medication, she spoke up,"Do you know what the deal is with Erwin? Why did you transform? How did you get out of your cell?"

As she bombarded him with questions, Eren held both his hands up. "Hold on..."

She grew silent but he could tell she was thirsting for answers.

"...he wants to lead a revolution," he began slowly. Despite her awestruck face, he went on.

_As the carriage bumped over the gravel, Erwin leaned over, propping himself on his knees. Jean leaned back, languidly resting his back though his eyes were following the conversation._

_"I share the same ideas as you, Eren," he began,"the belief that humanity can go beyond the Walls. Our ragtag army of men, being slaughtered by the enemies, are the closest we can have to being free. At first, I was content with the open space, to be beyond the Walls, but now...the military had stripped us of our purpose as the Recon Corps. The work we've done, the dedication we've placed, all in good work for the King and people; they decided to obliterate us."_

_Eren remained quiet, he had never learned much about the Commander but he idolized him as much as he had done so for Rivaille. To have the man sitting before him sharing his beliefs was something he could hardly comprehend, it amazed him._

_"Amongst that, we serve the people, protect them from the creatures outside our doors...and also themselves."_

_"Sir?" He questioned. "Isn't the Military Police supposed to care for-"_

_"What good are they? Handling a couple bandits and thieves yet not touching the Underground Mall, what I meant...are those who threaten humanity. I care for these people, the innocent, not the corrupt; I would do what I can to serve in my own way. Those two Titans Hanji had, they were murdered because of the information they had, those who butchered them are the enemies to mankind. Do you understand?" Eren nodded. Erwin spoke with a gusto, as though he were entreating Eren to follow his already established belief. "With our Recon Corps gone, what can we do? What can I do? Nothing...unless those who still live are willing to stand up and fight-"_

_Isidor barked out a laugh,"You want to start a revolution? Force the King to reinstate the Recon Corps!? You've seen the bodies piling up at the funeral pyres! You can hardly call yourself a Legion, be lucky the survivors can amount enough arms to be a Squad! You are certainly full of surprises-"_

_Erwin threw a piercing glare at the Marquis, the man instantly silenced himself._

_Suddenly, he reached out to Eren, taking his hand._

_"Will you join me in bringing back the Recon Corps before the traitors of humanity destroy what we have left of ourselves?"_

_Eren tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. A revolution? How could he? With the few Eren heard Jean spoke of, they would never amount to anything against the King's guard. _

_"In all due respect," Jean intruded,"you can't have people go for your cause if they no longer trust you nor see you as a leader. You can try to reach to them...but don't be surprised if they point a blade or gun at you; you are, after all, the one who issued the orders to kill the. Orders are orders, but the people who give them make the impression..."_

And just like that, Hanji was the first of many Eren was sure to reject Erwin's proposal.

She was living proof from what he learned from Jean when they spoke of how he and Erwin found their convoy outside of the Karanese. Jean himself had no interest in following Erwin's cause; Sasha would most likely leave without looking back; Eren himself...he wanted to go beyond the Walls.

"Eren, you said you wanted to go beyond the Walls," Christa pointed out.

"I do."

"So...what did you tell Erwin?" Hanji said, though she looked like she already figured out the answer.

Eren met their eyes, both were staring back in silence; they looked accepting for what he was about to say. Taking a deep breath, he let out,"I want to go outside. I told him I'd join."

They didn't speak to him, save for Mikasa as she murmured,"It'll be a lost cause..."


	23. Chapter 23

`I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: I will be writing this story and "Change of Gait" at the same time

* * *

_"Mr. Rivaille, this is Hanji, my assistant, she'll be helping you with your books," the old crone told him. She was sweet, a grandmotherly type, he still glared at her but then it softened when his eyes drifted to her right where a young, brunette beauty stood, trying to smile as best she could; her lips twitching, unable to hold a form._

_Other than that, the young girl was dressed modestly, a different change of scenery from what he dealt with only a daily basis back in the capitol. Isidor was right in telling him to go elsewhere for business, truly the most prettiest jewels came from the Karanese. Gabrielle the bookkeeper smiled and walked away, her voice chiming out,"Dear, be sure to treat him well, he's a valued customer~!"_

_"Y-yes, Gabrielle!" She stammered nervously, though it was soft. She stood there stiffly, unmoving. "Uh...uh, Welcome t-to the...the..." The rest was murmured._

_"...aren't you going to move?" He asked, slightly annoyed by her lack of responses. He tried to be gentle but he lacked the patience for such a thing. Her eyes grew wide, she nodded._

_"W...what book do you need, Mr. Rivaille?" She said._

_Rivaille sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you have a book on confidence?"_

_"I...I don't believe I do, this store mostly holds old texts."_

_"I suggest you get one for yourself."_

_She nodded once more. "I'll be...I'll be s-sure to mark that!"_

_Oh my god, she can't handle sarcasm._

_Gabrielle's voice broke in. "Zoe, I need you at the counter for a moment."_

_As though relieved of an arduous labor, Hanji took the chance to leave, uttering an apology under her breath as she breezed by him like he were a swarm of wasps. He stood there, hands in his pockets, confused as hell about her behavior. As Gabrielle appeared from the corner, he opened his mouth to complain, but then the old woman smacked him over the head with a roll of newspaper._

_"What the fuck- I thought I'm your valued customer!" He nearly yelled._

_"I will not stand brashness towards my staff," she hissed at him, he held his hands up in defense when she threatened to hit him again. "The girl just got out of Hell and she still needs time to adjust to everything, the least you could do is be kind to her."_

_"Look, lady, I just want my books. I can go elsewhere," he scoffed. She hit him again. "Ugh, fuck-"_

_"I'm serious! Besides, I'm the only person in the Karanese that openly sells banned books," she shot at him,"you can't find these anywhere else in the world! Not even if you check the Underground Mall!" And with that, she turned away. "Zoe, come back here, I'll manage from there."_

_"Yes, Gabrielle." She looked ready to cry. "D-do you need something, Mr. Rivaille?"_

_Rivaille looked passed her shoulder to see Gabrielle glare at him. With a defeated sigh, he told her,"Yes, I need a copy of that one book about the world outside of the Walls."_

_"W-we don't have that in stock, but I have my own, p-personal copy. Are you s-staying long in...in the Karanese?" She made a gesture for him to follow to the back of the store. Her hands ran over the spines of the books on a top shelf as though she were asking them if they knew where her book was. This shelf was different than all the others as it was tucked away and had books that were newer than the ones in the store's other shelves._

_He leaned against the banister of the stairs. "No, a year, then I leave for the capitol."_

_"A-are you a...noble?" She timidly asked, bending slightly for the middle shelves._

_"Of the sort, yes," he replied smugly._

_She reached the bottom and found that there was nothing. "Um...Mr. Rivaille, I think my copy is upstairs. W-would you like to follow?"_

_He raised a brow but accepted her anyway. "Yes."_

_They went up the stairs, going until they reached the attic. She suddenly paused at the top step. She suddenly turned around, knife at hand. His eyes widened but, out of instinct, he dispatched her quickly, forcing her to the ground with the knife pointed at her._

_"What a manipulative-"_

_"You're Rivaille, the one merchants fear," she breathed viciously against his ear as he dipped low,"mankind's strongest rat from the filth." She built up saliva and then spat in his face. "Damn you."_

_He pressed the edge of her blade to the skin, firm and threatening. "You're quite the beautiful woman, you Four-Eyed shit."_

_"And you're not as disgusting as they say you look," she bitterly told him, glowering, she tried to kick at him but he tightened his grip, locking her arms in place._

_"So what's the deal with you? Hm?"_

_Her eyes narrowed yet he could see there was an undying hatred that had ben suppressed for too long. Lips twitched of anger, she hissed,"Nothing for you to care, I'm like any other woman, the only difference is that I escaped."_

_It took him a moment to think of what she said. As her sleeves began to bunch up, he took notice of dark markings that encircled both of her wrists; they were the healing scars of cuffs. It dawned on him that she had been a part of the Ring, one of his major networks. He slowly released his hold on her, kneeling back and giving her space._

_Hastily, she rolled down her sleeves and held her throat, breathing deeply._

_He threw the knife to the other side of the room, embedding it firmly in the wall and out of reach. He sat himself against the wall and she got to her knees._

_"Not that many leave it," he said as though praising her._

_She didn't even look at him. "A servant left the door opened. The bastard didn't pay much attention to security."_

_"How long were you in it?"_

_"Four...five years? I got out five months ago. Are you going to drag me back?"_

_He scoffed. "No, you're unfettered, there's no point in putting your back, you may have already outlived your use down there anyway. Just enjoy your life now."_

_Rivaille got up to his feet, he looked down at her, then headed for the stairs._

_"...you're not like what the rumors say," he heard her,"nothing at all-"_

_"Hey, don't forget my book," he said over his shoulder, making his descent._

-...-

By nightfall, they came across a village. The Military Police were not seen, and neither were any men or women that belonged to the military. Tobias had taken the liberty to check-in at an inn where he knew the proprietor through business, leaving the rest of them to unload at the stables. Hanji kept Christa by her side, though she didn't have the need to restrain her; the girl was compliant and even offered to help Rivaille.

"I'd hate to kill you," Hanji confessed, unabashed.

Christa didn't answer her as she watched Sasha place her Gear in one of the stands. Instead, she asked,"What's this...'TITAN SERUM' you've sent Ymir and the Commander to fetch?"

"It's none of your business, all that matters is that they get them as soon as possible."

Mike spluttered on a canteen of water. This was a first, certainly indeed, it was a first. Hanji had been asked a question about one her research projects, she blatantly refused to tell Christa. He brought a fist to his chest and to cough the water out. Hanji glanced over at him, saying,"Something wrong?"

He made a gestured and mouthed,'Nah, I'm good,' as Petra rubbed his back.

"Hey, I got us free boarding and food," Tobias called from inside the inn. Sasha was the first to rush over, along with Weiss; everyone was pretty much done with the equipment and tying off the horses. Hanji had given Jean the task of carrying Rivaille while she, herself, took care of taking Mikasa; the girl had fallen asleep quite early. They journeyed to the rooms with Christa while Mike checked the surrounding place.

The inn was empty save for themselves. The barkeep was a woman who was quite plump but was a friendly face, something comforting to see nowadays. Mike rested himself by the fire, head resting against the backrest as the barmaid brought him a mug of vine.

"Thanks," he told her, smiling at her before drinking.

Petra came into his view, she pulled a chair by him.

"Had you seen the Marquis?" She asked, her own mug at hand. Food was set up on the other side of the room, from where, Armin, Eren, and Sasha were busy eating the first, decent meal since they had left headquarters. Petra even brought a plate for him. He settled the mug by the fire and took it.

"Oh, he went to a brothel," he said, taking a fork and piercing a piece meat,"better to have him there than here with us."

She gave a visible frown. "You saw him trying to touch Hanji too?"

"Yeah, I stopped him," he told her, looking a bit off to the side. "Imagine him being near Sasha or even Mikasa, you, probably. Keep your eyes on him, alright? If he starts trouble, I'm willing to dispatch him no matter what Hanji says. It'll be one less fuck up in the King's Court."

Petra nodded.

She sipped at her drink, then brought it down to the floor next to his.

"Tell me about your father, Petra," he said.

She perked up at his inquiry as he began to eat. "Oh? Um...well, he lives in the North..."

"I know that part." He chortled.

"It's a modest place within Wall Rose, just South of Historia. About a hundred acres of land, he raises horses for the military, primarily for the Recon Corps. Often times he would come by to deliver fresh stocks, usually it's after a mission. He's been planning on dropping at the Karanese after our trial mission for Eren, but I guess he has no use for it now," she sighed,"he probably might not be home by the time we get there. He'd be making the trip right now."

"Do you have a mother?"

"Yeah, she stays on our land with my younger brother, tends to the horses and all. He's planning on going into the military in two years, he says he wants to be like me." She smiled at this. Mike took a moment to watch her carefully, he enjoyed her happiness, it was almost infectious. "What about you?"

He perked up. "Me?" She nodded. "I'm from Darmstadt."

"Like the perfume?"

Darmstadt was a popular brand in the Inner Districts, very few women beyond Wall Sina can afford such a thing.

"Uh-huh. It's...um, it's actually a flower village just a few kilometers out of the Stohess." He looked slightly embarrassed, she tried not to laugh so that he could be confident to speak. "My family runs the business."

"Then what's a flower boy doing in the military?" She was really trying her hardest not to laugh. "Your nose could pick up on things, you'd do well there."

He shook his head. "My father decided it'd be better to put my nose to good use for the military, so he shipped me off. He's an enthusiast of the sorts. I'm not complaining about it though, the business is doing well with the Inner District so I'm not of use there. I used to go to parties though, in the Inner District, with my father."

"You met nobles?" Her eyes lit up.

"Loads," he said, though his tone didn't boast much. "I've met all the Marquis fifteen years ago, but I never met Isidor until now. In fact, I didn't even know the Marquis of Hermiha had a fourth son. Makes you wonder where the bastard came from..."

-...-

Rivaille was settled into one bed.

Parallel to him was Mikasa.

They had been properly tucked in and now slept soundly.

"I saw what happened to him," Jean began, speaking of Rivaille,"you shouldn't hold a conviction towards Erwin-"

"Rivaille tasked you to tell Erwin not to let Eren transform," she pointed out bitterly as Christa fluffed the below behind Mikasa, making she was as comfortable as possible. She jumped when he heard Jean suddenly snap.

"If you're going to be a bitch and tell us every flaw we have so that you can blame us for what happened to the Corporal, we may as well just leave you to yourself. Honestly, everyone else is trusting you with their lives and you're just out there waving a gun with some superstitious belief that it'll give him back his arm!" She whirled around from her chair and got up to face him. "Can you just get your shit together and think of a right course for action!? For God's sake, you had everyone point their firearms at Christa! Of all people! What the fuck did she do wrong!? Oh, and that thing about Erwin shooting a hook into Rivaille, we weren't fucking planning on him to appear out of nowhere to get Eren out!

"I'm not riding my ass to the Hermiha while listening to you bitch and moan about what's happening! We're on the run from the military, the last thing anyone needs is for you to start killing us off. I always thought you're a bit fucked in the head, now you're just paranoid _and_ fucked in the head!"

She lifted her hand up, her fist clenched and ready at his insult, but then Christa reached out to her, grasping her wrist and arm. Disregarding her, Hanji wrenched her arm away, yelling at her,"Don't get involved!"

Christa cried out,"He's right, Hanji, please, you need to just calm down!"

_I'm doing it again._

"No, let her hit me, the bitch needs to let it out sooner or later," Jean reasoned.

His words of her brought out that flare of impulsive rage she had felt towards Erwin just yesterday. It was true, she understood she could no longer hold herself together, but how can she? It was one problem right after the other. First, Erwin ordering a death sentence. Second, running from the military. Third, finding Rivaille missing a limb. Fourth, the Marquis.

She pushed away thoughts of the last one, it was something she had to hide away for the moment.

The next thing she knew, she lunged at Jean, her fist going into his face, hitting him. Her weight thrown him off his feet, forcing him to the floor, left of Rivaille's bed. Hanji took the chance to straddle him, smacking him in the face, one fist right after the other. A few well placed blows went on, he didn't even fight back.

_It's true, I need to let it out._

"YOU'RE. ALIVE. BECAUSE. OF. ME." She shouted with every hit, though tears began to stream down; his words had gotten to her. When she had reached the last word, something took a hold of her left arm. She expected it to be Christa, but she was too far away. Her eyes followed the hand to see Rivaille's good arm outstretched, keeping her firmly in place.

She ceased her movements to hear him rasp,"You're...too fucking loud."


	24. Chapter 24

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: I'll update "Change of Gate" by this weekend~

* * *

"Down here!" Sasha called out as she, Eren, and Armin raced through the hallway.

She was the first to enter and found Christa on the ground, sitting against the wardrobe. Getting to one knee beside her, she checked Christa for a brief moment, then looked on to Hanji as the woman was straddling Jean with a fist in the air that was held back by Rivaille's good arm. Immediately, Eren rushed over to her, along with Armin; the two hauled her off of Jean.

Sasha expected her to begin to kick away but she didn't put up any resistance, letting herself be cast back to the floor. Her sleeves worked to frantically wipe at her face.

Eren knelt over to Jean, offering a hand up.

"We heard yelling," Armin explained as Rivaille's hand went back onto the bed like a dead limb. He didn't move much, only laying on his back with his injured arm propped upwards by a few pillows.

"She started it!" Jean countered, brushing at his bloodied mouth. "She kept talking shit about Commander Erwin, saying how it's all his fault-"

"People...blame others when things go wrong," Rivaille breathed out, throat dry and his voice heavy,"I want all of you to...go away..."

Sasha aided Christa to her feet, then ushered her out of the room. Not waiting for either of the boys to protest. She kept the blond girl close to her as they went back to the dining area where Petra and Mike were making their way towards them. Before they passed, she said to them,"Don't go, the Corporal doesn't want anyone."

Mike gave her a confused look until he looked over his shoulder to see Armin and Eren helping Jean. Hanji had managed to bust his lip, a bruise was beginning to form under his eye; said woman was absent from them. The barmaid took notice of Jean and ran to the back room, probably out to get some supplies to treat him. With all the bustle going around, Weiss whined loudly.

"Quiet," she told him, the dog went off to hide under a table as Christa took her seat by the food.

Jean was plopped down nearby with Petra using a wet cloth to clean the blood off of him. As she dabbed at his lip, he broke out,"Someone needs to handle her before she decides to kill us."

"We trust her because we know she has nothing to lose other than the Corporal," Petra explained to him, though she looked reluctant to admit it. Mike grimaced slightly but turned away to grab his mug. "And she'll follow whatever fits his judgement, she's just following orders-"

"Yeah, like Erwin was," he snapped.

"Stop moving!" She chided him.

"Erwin's an entirely different situation," Mike voiced in. "He had the choice of telling us in advance and letting us leave while we still can, yet he let this drag on. Did he have enough time? Yes, he had half a month; the caucus in which the Marquis and King declared the obliteration of the Recon Corps was two weeks ago. Why didn't he tell us to leave sooner? Look at us, we're only a handful of fresh Scouts and a few veterans, one of us is incapacitated for good."

He drew close to Jean, close enough to force Petra out of the way. He placed the mug on a nearby table, his larger form easily towering over Jean, Sasha wanted to shove him away but the man had already taken a hold of Jean's chin, tilting him upwards.

"Each of us are still trying to cope with this. I understand your reasoning but I don't see why you would try to start a fight with Hanji. Don't you remember? She was sentenced to death before either of us. Unlike her, you and I, even Eren over there, know that Erwin was trying to save us at the last minute despite his neglectful actions-"

"He wasn't neglectful," Jean countered,"he couldn't reach a word the Marquis on time. Poor communications and all, he didn't even arrive until the day of executions!"

Mike released his hold on him. "He didn't?"

"Erwin set up correspondence three weeks ago, right after the caucus of nobles," he confessed. He spat out a bit of blood. "Pheh! The Marquis was supposed to arrive a week before the orders to kill were distributed...give us all a head start..."

"Then...the Marquis of Hermiha let this happen?" Sasha asked.

"Sounds like it, he said he came to deliver the last execution orders for myself, Rivaille, and Petra," Mike recalled with spite,"and that was the day after the executions started."

Mike stepped away as Petra went back to cleaning Jean. He added,"He met with the Commander earlier. They set up a designated location to meet up after getting Eren out of prison, some burned down bookstore. You got to talk to the Marquis- ah!" She pressed too hard on his lip. "Damn...you got to talk to him, he has something to do with all of this. We heard him talking with Erwin the other night..."

He gave a curt nod and headed for the door. Sasha decided to come with him; as she headed for the door, she stooped low for her bow and quiver, then whistled for Weiss, but then Mike turned around, shaking his head.

"Stay here, Sasha," he instructed, not leaving room to argue. She tried to protest, even when he slammed the door in her face.

-...-

"Hanji...don't go," Rivaille uttered despite Hanji kneeling at his bedside, she hadn't moved, nor was she planning to. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on anything but the searing pain shooting through his body. He right to reach out with his right hand when the yelling grew, but he found himself lacking a limb. It shocked him at first, though hearing Hanji screaming by him gave some focus.

He turned his head towards her, eyes opening slowly to see her tear-streaked face. She brought a sleeve to clean herself though the cloth made her skin redder. Rivaille breathed deeply and extended his left hand to her. Immediately, she took it to cradle her cheek into his palm.

"Where...?"

"An inn, twenty kilometers from the Karanse," she answered with a hoarse voice,"we got out...and we have Eren."

"What about...Erwin?"

She didn't respond. His thumb touched her lip, the pad of it caressed the skin gently and she finally said,"I sent him off with Ymir to get supplies from headquarters."

His mind drew a blank at the name.

"...Ymir?"

"The one with Christa," she said.

The thought of the aloof woman staring absentmindedly into space jolted his memory. He remained quiet as she let out a heavy sigh,"She overheard a conversation between Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie when I sent the two boys to fetch me barrels in the cellar. Some...plan to kidnap Eren, smash through Walls to escape when we were making a run for it ourselves."

Her words were slowly drowning away for him.

_I feel so weak..._

"...those three..."

A tunnel began to form somewhere in his line of sight.

"...may have been involved with the Fall of Wall Maria..."

He could feel her hands keeping his in place.

"...Ymir neglected to tell..."

He thought of when Bertolt and Reiner were riding on either side of him, he remembered Reiner taking his horse as he used his Gear to ascend to Eren's shoulder. _Where did they go? They aren't here with us, right?_ He wanted to ask their whereabouts, then he drifted over to Ymir. _She knew of this but didn't tell either of us? There's too many traitors...it's happening again...  
_

"Too many," he breathed out.

Hanji leaned close to him. "What?"

"Kill," he rasped, unable to explain himself,"kill the girl, just as we agreed."

_I can't keep up with them...punishment is the best discipline, is it not?_

"Christa?" She meekly questioned as he turned his head to face the ceiling.

"Kill..."

Her forehead was against his cheek, he felt her give a gentle nod, her shaking slowly lulling him to darkness. He felt cold suddenly, so dreadfully cold...

-...-

_Isidor von Hermiha, the fourth child of the current Marquis of the Hermiha._

_Rivaille had never met him before but had several dealings with women, collecting his gold through messengers and giving said messengers the goods; it was a practice done by most of his high-profiling clients. He had begun trade with the man in the eighth month of 834; large shipments of half a dozen women were taken every few weeks, he never heard of them after that but no matter._

_The man had particular tastes, only favoring what he thinks would be the best of them all; of course, Rivaille didn't mind, money was money. It was when Isidor suddenly ceased his orders altogether that it caught Rivaille's attention; it prompted a personal meeting._

_He payed large sums of gold, probably from his father's treasury; he became the largest source of revenue Rivaille had ever encountered. Naturally, when the money stopped flowing, he'd be hellbent to see what was wrong._

_It was the first month of 835, ten years prior to the Fall of Wall Maria._

_He was called to the Karanese, a designated spot for his meeting._

_As he waited outside in the cold, his gaze was fixated on the books displayed at the window. He was familiar with the proprietor in his youth. Eyes drifted left to right, looking at each title and reading whatever excerpts he could find. A young woman whose face he couldn't see was busy putting up a new book. When he caught notice of her staring, she turned away and sprinted out of sight._

_"Sir!" Came a hushed voice._

_Rivaille straightened his back when he saw a man clad in the Military Police uniform stand a few feet away. "Gervas?"_

_Fritz nodded, he brought his hands to his mouth and blew, shivering at the cold. "Yes, sir. The Lord is ready for you."_

_"About fucking time," he scoffed, following him. They entered an alley whose entrance was covered by half a foot of snow. Fritz kicked away the white and lead him further down to where a trap door was tucked behind a watchmaker's store. He waited as the man pulled the door open, allowing Rivaille to enter first into a long tunnel at the bottom of a twenty foot ladder._

_When his boots met the moist bricks, Fritz was directly above him._

_"You couldn't lead me to the main entrance?" He asked, perturbed by the filth he had to go through._

_Fritz apologized gruffly when he landed by his side. "The MP would grow wary of you, sir."_

_They went down the tunnel and merged into a large chamber that had various networks leading out under the Karanese. Numerous cads for merchant thieves tried to sell their wares; drugs, illegal arms, vines, and most of all, humans. Fritz pushed passed many who threw suspicious looks at him. When he showed his face, their scowls turned to smiles in recognition._

_However, when eyes fell upon Rivaille, they shirked, giving him a wide berth._

_The attention was unnecessary but it made the walk less cramped._

_After going through the crowds, Fritz met up with two other men, both of which wore their MP uniforms but carried rifles, signifying themselves as personal guards to royalty. There were several authorities such as Fritz protecting the nobles, as is their job, what set them apart from the other, ordinary MP were the people they were associated with._

_The two guards opened a set of double doors that led into a brothel of sorts._

_Rivaille, for once, took notice of the women. They were young and had a sense of natural beauty, though what killed their looks were the scandalous outfits. He glanced at whatever he could and continued on, following Fritz to a private room in the back hallways._

_Inside the room was a bed fit for the King with numerous curtains draping all around. Wardrobes containing clothes told Rivaille that the guest had taken residence for quite some time. He was led to an elaborate, cushioned seat that was situated by a coffee table, parallel to that was a sofa. As he seated himself, a woman, foce once decently dressed, gave him freshly brewed tea - he was well known for it rather than booze, oh, Fritz knew well about that._

_"Lord Isidor, Rivaille is here," Fritz's voice rang._

_A stifled giggle came from the bed, Rivaille rolled his eyes as a man, half dressed with a shirt barely holding to his shoulders, came out of the sheets. Fritz fetched him a pair of slacks and the man scrambled to put it on. He staggered over to the sofa across from Rivaille, plopping himself to the seat while waving his hand for the door; a signal to be left alone._

_When the room became quiet, Rivaille scrutinized him for a moment. He didn't like him, he never liked anyone. As long as he had money, Rivaille was alright with him. However, when the women ceased to be placed orders on, there was an issue. Rivaille was, in fact, the one who arranged to meet._

_"Is there a reason why you stopped ordering from me?" Rivaille began, impatient._

_"Perhaps," Isidor drawled. Out of the darkness of a corner, a lone servant appeared; apparently he wasn't dismissed. He came with a bottle and glass at hand, handing them to the nobleman to drink vine._

_"Whatever it is, you've caught my undivided attention, sir," he said with the last word accentuated with spite._

_Isidor took sips from his glass, then swayed the contents of his glass longingly. "As the fourth child of the Marquis, I will eventually be cut off from the family banking when my eldest brother comes to power. A few months ago, I tried my hand at human trafficking. Unfortunately, some of my stock had...gone to waste. After that, I thought to myself, _'What if I ask of that Rivaille fellow to teach me to make money?'_. "_

_"You want to make a living off of trafficking then in case you lose your inheritance," Rivaille surmised, Isidor nodded,"I don't make partnerships, only take subordinates."_

_"I knew you would say that," Isidor chuckled. "But look at me." He spread his arms to present himself. "The son of a Marquis, I can give power, I do have governmental positions open."_

_"I'm not interested in politics."_

_"Then what about immunity from the law?"_

_"There's no use of it, I have a faily good grasp of the law-"_

_Isidor barked out in laughter. "Not until it comes to the likes of me!"_

_"Well, what can you offer to me that will be of actual worth?"_

_"The capability to walk amongst the Karanese and the Hermiha without the military breathing down your back," Isidor said. "Fritz had to take you through the back entrance, did he not? Imagine, Rivaille, the capability to walk in broad daylight without the need to draw a gun at someone, to live a normal life amongst the people; I even offer you my townhouse here."_

_Rivaille began to get up. "It's a stupid idea you have. For all I know, you could be scheming against me."_

_"What would I have against you? Look at me, a man of royal blood begging for the King of the Ring to be his leader, that's something you don't see everyday," he said,"I'll even step down from my position to live in the filth with you-"_

_"I live in a nice, clean manor in the Stohess, I try to not take much time Underground unless it's for business," he deadpanned Isidor._

_The nobleman got up as the man began to head for the door. "Rivaille, wait a moment, please."_

_Rivaille rarely gave second chances, let alone a third. The man provided him with good coin for a few months, just to stop it all to have a chance to speak about a partnership? It was time wasted on his part and money wasted on the noble's. His hand rested on the door's latch, he glanced over his shoulder, a silent gesture of his willingness to listen._

_"...if you're going to live on as you are upon your throne in the Underground, you're going to need some firm grasp on the surface world as well. It's been only three years you've climbed to the top of it all. I'm here...to offer you a connection to our government. You see nobles bending the MP to their will? Imagine yourself slowly gaining more power than the King himself. We both will start little, but give it time and money, see what else you can rule," he entreated._

_Power did sound awfully tempting. What Isidor offered sounded well to him. He wouldn't have a hand in politics but he felt the pressure of needing authorities to turn a blind eye on him. He had, indeed, spent most of his infamous time in hiding. He thought carefully of the potentials Isidor could have. He would, of course, keep him as a subordinate._

_He would have to keep an eye on him._

_"What can you do?"_

_"I just-"_

_"What is your skill?" Rivaille questioned._

_Isidor perked up in realization. "Your stock of humans can be added to, I have a good eye for women...and I figured that those orphans on the streets are less likely to draw attention than what you've done with kidnappings. Now you see why you're not well taken up there?"_

_Rivaille had to admit Isidor was right. Most of the prettiest women were kidnapped from the middle classes as he saw the poorest useless and filthy. Picking the right people off the streets, that's a skill noteworthy. Coupled with a political anchor, he was beginning to be convinced. He turned to face him completely, his right hand extending out to him. _

_"You're under my wing now," Rivaille declared, though it was grudgingly._

_Isidor graciously took it, shaking it vigorously, desperately; a broad smile was smeared across his handsome face. "You won't regret it..._friend_."_

_He regretted it later on, for he didn't know the man had shaken it with a dagger behind his back._


	25. Chapter 25

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

A/N: Sorry for a late update, but here, a gift, I made this chapter twice as long.

Go check out "A Change of Gait", it now has its own storyline!

* * *

Petra dabbed the last of Jean's blood off of his lip, then handed him a fresh cloth while tossing the dirtied one into the bowl of water.

"Keep doing that until the bleeding stops," she instructed, she glanced over to Sasha as she stood at the door, quiet. "Don't go outside-"

"What are we going to do about the Marquis?" Sasha said, finally turning; it was quick. Her bow and quiver were clenched at her hand in anger. "If he's responsible for all of this, he needs to be dealt with. The land could use one less nobleman, especially one under his jurisdiction!"

The older Scout sat at a chair across from Christa. She rubbed her eyes in consternation. "Dauper Village is part of the Hermiha territory, isn't it?"

"Yes," she snapped,"and it's been dying since the government began to tear down the forests for farmland. What made it worse was when Wall Maria fell, they've been choking at my home even more. I want a personal word with him now that he's the one who sent orders to kill us off, that just makes him worse to me."

"The least you could do is..."

Petra's words trailed away when she saw Hanji emerging from the shadows of the hallway. The woman halted at the threshold, eyes scanning the inn's dining room. The look on her face disturbed her greatly, as if she had just walked out of the battlefield and seen one too many people die. They all seen it before, they all wore that face, but she was vacant.

She stood up as the rest of them turned their heads to see her.

"Hanji, I think it's best you go back to Rivaille," Petra nervously advised as she got to her feet.

"Get her away," Jean warned, cloth down at his lap. He was glaring at the woman.

"Hanji?" Armin asked softly, he stood the nearest to her. When she didn't respond, he approached her though his steps were wary of anything that would come from her. "Did you need something?"

"I need to speak to Christa," she dryly told them.

It was then that Weiss began to violently bark from his spot. Petra jumped at the noise, unsuspecting of the sheepdog to be the first to respond. His fangs bore themselves savagely, his hair bristled as his tail grew tense, as though he were fighting another dog. He stood up from the floor though Sasha sharply told him,"Shut up," yet he only lowered himself to a growl.

Jean exclaimed in the thickening atmosphere. "Even the dog doesn't like her!"

"It'll only be a few minutes," Hanji pressed on. She decided to take a step, it prompted Petra to rush to her and take her by the shoulder. The woman tried to brush her away but she managed to take her the far end of the room. "What?"

Their eyes were fixed on them.

"Look, everyone is...starting to doubt you," Petra relayed to her. Hanji's vacant face grew to looking guilty, her eyes darkened at her words. "Even I am, just a bit. They found you beating the hell out of Jean, you're losing it, Hanji. Can't you see yourself? Even without your glasses?" She brought her hands to hold her by the shoulders, though she had to stretch as the woman was taller. "Mike and I...we've been discussing our course of action, for everyone, not just ourselves."

She let out a thoughtful sound, then gave a nod for her to proceed.

"Rivaille...he's not even with us to give orders, his own judgement is doubtful by this point, and you...claim to be following his orders, but you're just operating on impulse. First Erwin, then Ymir and Christa, now Jean...the first was understandable, the second was barely unethical, but the third, Hanji, they've most likely lost their trust-"

"Ymir's a Titan-shifter, Rivaille had a deal with her to kill her should anything go sideways," she explained, ignoring the last part of Petra's plea. "Ymir neglected to tell us vital information about Bertolt and Reiner. They were Titans, most possibly the ones to smash through Wall Maria. We gave the girl a chance to be of use but she blew it in that sense. Now three Titan-shifters are out on the loose and we're not only going to be running from the military but also from Titans. It can happen again, Shiganshina, Trost, the Karanese might be next; we're in danger because of Eren."

"Why Eren?"

"They were plotting to kidnap him with Annie, it seems she was working with them."

Petra released her though Hanji stayed in place. If what she said was true, the Titan-shifters may soon be in pursuit of Eren. How soon they could seek him out was something she could hardly predict. The fray to leave the Karanese could have ended in a multitude of ways, though every one that played through her mind made her feel that Wall Rose would fall at any given moment.

Growls resonated from Weiss once more.

"And you want to kill Christa on that basis alone? What happens of Ymir returns and learns she's dead?" Petra tried to argue with her. "Do you want a fourth Titan-shifter as your enemy? We're on edge-"

"-I know-"

"-and doing it right now won't help. They, no, we may as well turn on you."

Hanji bit her bottom him, then cast her eyes away from Petra. "True...but Rivaille told me to..." She spaced away from her, then tore away from the conversation, her focus now brought to Christa as the young girl sat across from Jean; she watched as Hanji's hand went to the belt holster that held one of Rivaille's pistol. "...Christa, come over here-"

"Why can't you listen to yourself!?" Petra hissed, she raised her voice, shouting,"Christa! **Get out of here!**"

"What did I say!?" Jean yelled as he jumped to his feet, cloth falling out of his lap. He reached over to Christa, pulling her up and shoving her to the door where Sasha stood. The girl dropped her bow and quiver to catch Christa as Hanji picked up speed, her hand completely drawing the flintlock.

Petra could only stand there, stunned, she couldn't move. Years of fighting Titans made her think quick, but for the first time she found herself unable to participate. She could only be a witness. She saw Eren take action, trying to lunge at Hanji though the woman quickly evaded him, letting him slam his face into a table. Jean, despite being injured, tried to put up resistance when she neared him, but a simple aim of her gun forced him to back away to the food table.

Ahead of them, Sasha ushered Christa to the door, yelling,"Saddle the horses, for you and me! Weiss!"

It was like the room exploded.

Weiss's frantic barking didn't make it anymore better as he rushed up at Sasha's calling. Petra expected him to leap up to Hanji, to maul her, but he dashed to the door, following Christa closely at her heels.

"You know the deal!" Hanji's delusional voice rang. "You had an agreement! Both of you!"

When the girl was out the door, Sasha faced Hanji, blocking her from leaving. With her bow and quiver scattered to the floor, she was defenseless though she put up a brave face. Jean had taken the liberty to fetch a cleaver from nearby (which was used for chopping at the pork that the tavern owner had smoked), he approached Hanji from behind as she raised the flintlock to Sasha.

The gleam of the cleaver being raised up high made everything pause, at least for Petra.

Her mind froze at this.

_Why can't Mike be here? He could have...maybe he could have calmed her down, he's worked with her longer, even saved her. Jean was right, she needs restraint. If only Rivaille-_

A sickening dull thud resounded through the room as though dead weight were tossed to the ground.

One moment the cleaver was in the air, the next, it was embedding into flesh.

Hanji still stood there, arm outstretched, though it fell to her side.

Jean had cleaved into her, just at the juncture of her neck and right shoulder. Half the blade sank into her flesh, then, as if he touched fire, Jean let go of the handle. He stepped away, hands raised in the air, leaving the cleaver in her body; they were expecting Hanji to fall, how she still stood was beyond their comprehension but they were thankful that she lowered the barrel.

Sasha didn't take a chance to pause and see the result, she stooped low to fetch her equipment from the ground and left without even saying so much as a good-bye.

It fell silent save for groaning coming from Eren, but even as he let out soft grunts of being hit in the head, a distinct hissing came rattling from Hanji. Her free hand went up to take the handle of the cleaver, then she pulled, taking her blood and flesh with the steel and splattering it to the floor. Within a matter of seconds, like opening a pressured pot, steam violently rose from her body.

The woman let out an agonizing scream, falling to her knees with her hands trying to cover herself. Her body trashed about, writing in pain and a newly released rage.

But Petra was drawn to what she saw with her own eyes, the vapor.

The characteristic of a Titan.

Petra had placed her faith in her for as long as she could, but now, she felt it shatter.

_Who can we trust?_

As Hanji keened, Petra rushed to Eren's side, helping him up. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eren uttered, stepping away from Hanji as she continued to bawl. He shook his head as though he were trying to rid himself of a thought, then grunted by the time he got to his feet. "What about you?"

"Good, just..." She glanced down at Hanji. "...just not well myself. Armin?"

The blond boy was frozen in place. "Peachy," he breathlessly answered,"we need to get out of here before she regenerates. Jean's right, she's not right in the head, I can't...I don't-"

"I'll ready the horses!" Jean declared, he made a beeline for the door. "Get Mikasa and meet me up front!"

"I'll come with!" Petra said as the boys parted ways. As Hanji trashed about, screaming louder and louder, Petra made sure to follow Jean, she couldn't stand being anywhere near Hanji, not anymore. The time for explanations were over, Petra saw no use in staying there. As she headed for the door, she paused to glance over her shoulder.

She would be parting from Rivaille for good. Part of her wanted to stay, just for him, but her new found affection for Mike made her think twice. She would have told Eren and Armin to take a hold of Mikasa and Rivaille, but she feared that Hanji would pursue her.

Her eyes drifted to the floor where Hanji rolled about, steam emanating from her wound as blood had pooled around her. The woman threw her head up to see her, and with her good hand, she reached out as though she were asking for help.

Petra simply shook her head and turned away.

-...-

The horses cried as Jean threw a saddle to the third one. Petra quickly came by to take her own horse and Mike's, leaving to fetch the man.

Tobias's voice cried,"Why must you leave?!"

He heard Sasha respond from the other end of the stable,"I'm not losing another friend!"

As he tried to listen to them, Christa's own voice rose from his left. He looked at her as she had her palomino already saddled and bridled, ready for their run. "You're see fit to leave as well."

"...I only want to save my hide," he answered, tightening the cinch with a brisk tug. He tied off the horse and moved on to the next. She stood as he went to bridle his own horse. His hands wrapped the leather straps around the beast's head, they were shaking, he paused for a moment to think. "And you? You're going to let Ymir return to find you gone?"

"We'll find each other," she said confidently though her eyes looked uncertain by the torchlight. "She'll find me."

"You better pray she that she could," he murmured, leading the other three horses with him and leaving her. When he got to the front of the inn, no one was there to greet him so he waited, four pairs of reins in his hands. He could still hear Hanji from inside the building, though she had grown quieter; his anxiety picked up, she could come running out at any moment to shoot the girls in the stables.

He saw Sasha and Weiss run out with a horse, she mounted it and trotted towards Jean. Shortly after came Christa.

"What about Tobias?" He asked.

"I convinced him to come with us," she answered, nodding to the stables.

The three horses snorted and whined, unwilling to be leave so soon. He padded down his steed as it snorted, his hoofed pounded the ground impatiently. Jean glanced at the inn's door, then down the street to where he saw Petra canter away.

"Where will you go?" He said as she fixed her bow in place on her back.

"My village, of course, where else to go?"

"And Christa...?"

Sasha looked away. "I promised Ymir I'd watch over her until she comes back. A favor, really, but one I'm willing to do."

Jean nearly laughed, though it was in a mocking manner. "How is she going to find you?"

Her mouth opened but she didn't say anything.

Weiss poked his nose against Jean's calf, sniffing at his slacks. Their Gears were left in the stables, their use no longer needed. A good riddance to them but the three years of hell they endured to master them had gone to waste. Jean pushed away Weiss as the door flew open with Eren carrying Mikasa in his arms, a blanket was wrapped around her body for protection.

She was awake, her arms were wrapped around Eren's neck.

Armin held a pouch of gold in his hand.

"Stole it off the cashier," he announced when their eyes were wide at his thievery, he shot back at them defensively,"we'll need it for Mikasa!"

He even handed it to her.

"Jean, I need you to hold her," Eren broke in, Jean's mind paused at the request.

"What?" He uttered though Eren had already given Mikasa to him.

"Eren, what are you doing?" Mikasa protested as she tried to fight him away, Jean instantly let her down to her feet; her fussing about would cause those stitches to reopen. "You said we'll be leaving together."

He nodded as he was given a horse in turn. His voice sounded distracted, unfocused,"Yeah, we are."

As he mounted, Armin took his steed for himself as Tobias's draft came walking out of the stable with the cart dragging behind it, creaking and making an awful amount of noise. At the sight of him, Sasha rounded her horse with Christa following close.

"I'm not staying any longer with the woman!" She exclaimed, her reasoning making Jean nod in agreement.

He had always seen Hanji as a woman with more than a few screws loose. Her actions as of late just proved how much her mind had been degraded, he couldn't see her as a leader or even fit to be Rivaille's proxy. Mankind's strongest soldier? He could hardly do anything with a missing limb, he doubted there would be much power left in him; they were on their own from the beginning of it all.

Tobias brought the wagon by them, his eyes wearily sweeping each of them; he didn't want to leave. His voice spoke out,"...family, friend, foe...family is what matters to me now." He glanced over at Sasha. "I have my concerns for Zoe, but for my interests, Dauper Village was my original reason for leaving the Karanese; I'll only help so far."

Jean let out a relieved sigh,"At least you have a place to leave for."

"I guess this is where we part ways," Christa declared softly. She turned her horse's head to the side, her lean legs squeezed at her horse's side, her heels dug into the barrel, spurring it. As a cue, Tobias snapped his reins, Sasha had already taken flight, her horse already anxious.

Then Eren's voice cut through the darkness. "Wait!"

He took Mikasa's hand and tugged her to the wagon that groaned to a halt. As he pulled her, he then picked her up once more and hauled her into the wagon, much to her protests; the girl tried to fight but her face contorted in pain, Jean even took a step until he was held back by Armin taking his sleeve.

"You need to take her," he told Sasha when her horse walked by, she stopped so that he may take a hold of her leg,"she's not healed, not at all. And...I won't let her come with me to the Karanese-"

"You're going back there!? Eren, you'll be captured, maybe even killed!" Sasha said, shaking in her seat. Weiss barked at him, already reflecting his master's displeasure. "How can you-"

"Just go!" He urged, a hand going to her horse's flank. Her horse, spooked by the sudden slap, nervously pranced about; her hands held the reins tighter, pulling them back hard.

It was then that Christa also voiced in,"I'll go with him."

Sasha's eyes grew wide, as she spoke, she panicked. "You'll _die_ faster than him-!"

"Ymir went to the Karanese," she shot at her,"I'm going to go after her and you can't stop me from that!"

"Christa!" She only stayed by Eren's side, her horse unmoving. Sasha could only stare at her her, stunned, until her face contorted in a mixture of anguish and fear. "Fine." Her legs kicked at her horse's sides. "Fine! Go then! Leave for death! All of you! I...I only want to go home, there's only so much I could do but...but I don't to lose...my friends-no."

She cut herself off, her words choking her.

Within seconds, both she and Tobias had the horses break away into fast trots, the torches standing in the holders of the wagon illuminated the dark street. They had chosen their paths, though Jean kept his sights trained on Mikasa as she sat against the crates, a hand feebly reaching out, her protests unheard. Soon enough, the beats of hooves faded into the night and they were left at the inn.

Eren stood the furthest away, hands clenched but then he turned, only telling them,"I'm getting a Gear. Armin, you should go with them-"

"Then who will keep you in check?" Armin argued, Eren was taken aback but he shook his head, he just went off to the stables; he looked over at Jean. "You're still heading to the North?"

Jean gave a nod. "Yeah...most likely with Petra and Mike."

"...alright then. They will take the shorter route and head towards the Karanese, then go further than that." He walked away, his horse was led to the stables; Christa dismounted and quietly went with him. "Keep an eye out for Hanji, will you?"

"Sure."

-...-

Mike could hardly stand brothels.

The stench of sex and tobacco, poorly fermented vine and perfume, it assaulted his nose when he set foot into the dreary place.

A sickly woman appeared from around the corner, making him wince at her sight. Any normal man not native to this village would have turned and run, and he would have until she croaked,"Room or woman? Both?"

"I'm looking for a...a friend," he said to her, waving away the stench with a hand,"looks rich, has a mute servant-"

"Lord Isidor?" She grimaced when he nodded, she then spat to the ground in disgust. A young woman's head peered from a corner that the crone had walked out of, Mike squinted at her, then brought his focus back to the old woman. "He's not available right now."

"This is highly important," he urged, pressing for her to let him in,"I'm not a foe."

"Yes, and if you were Death you'd probably be too late to fetch him anyway."

Mike's mouth hung open in disbelief, confusion even. "I don't have time for games, it's really an imperative for me to-"

"He's dead, you oaf!" She exclaimed, she took him by the hand and led him down the hallway where he saw the young woman. She hadn't moved nor did she make eye contact with him. Mike tried to wrench his hand away but the crone held him, dragging him. "One of the girls went ballistic when she saw him, took a stab at the Marquis repeatedly! I wouldn't approve of such a thing to our clients but this one had it coming!"

He spluttered over her words. "W-what!? Dead? What about the servant!? Where's Fiete?"

His answers were given when they rounded another corner.

Amongst the fallen curtains that draped the hallway was an arm that protruded from one of the many folds. It was bloodied and led to the unmistakable form of a human body that was left undisturbed, though some of the prostitutes were gathered around it, looking over it; other women lined the hallway, unmoving though they were trying to get a peek at the body.

"Move, move!" The crone cried, and they shuffled away.

Mike gently excused one of the girls when he was brought to a large chamber where a bed and several other women were loitering in shock. One of them, a young girl, was hysterically bawling into the arms of another. His eyes drifted to the bed where white sheets were lined in the red crimson color he'd seen only in the battlefields.

"He's dying, actually, not dead yet," the old woman corrected herself.

He rushed over to the bedside where he found Isidor lying on his back, his torso and chest exposed though several, deep wounds to the abdomen lined his pale skin. At first glance, he was still, though his chest began to heave when his weary eyes rapidly looked about, eventually falling on Mike. "Dog," he greeted him with a rasp, even in his last hour he had that cocky smile,"you, dog."

The Marquis was fading fast, Mike doubted he could get a single answer from him. Even if he tried, his words would probably be drowned away and become nothing but wasted breaths.

"Fifteen years...fifteen years of gathering women," he struggled to let out with a bitter voice,"ironic that she...that she...she recognizes me."

His eyes pointed over at the woman crying in the arms of another.

"You like seeing me _die_, whore!? I_ made_ you who you are! Show from gratitude!" He shouted, then he coughed dryly. "Dog...over there, my coat, get that for me."

Mike looked back to see the elaborate coat that Isidor wore, it was embezzled with ribbons and medals, anything that told him of his status in society; it felt heavy under his hand when he took it. He brought it over to the dying man, Isidor reached to it, hand shaking with the last bit of strength. When he took it to hand, he dragged Mike down with him, telling him,"My servant...has keys to my manor and everything. Take the coat, take the keys, give them to Rivaille if he ever comes to."

"Rivaille?"

His breaths were beginning to be labored, his words grew fragmented.

"Few...ever had the glory to see my face, the man...he'll understand this." He brought the coat back up to Mike's chest. "Give it, will you?"

Mike stared at the coat, then back at Isidor's sickly face. "For you, I will."

"...good...good dog," he breathed,"and, that woman, Zoe, tell her I...love her, can you?"

His lips curled into a slight snarl, though he tried to feign it with a frown. "For you, I won't."

"No, please I- ah! Dog, I beg of you..."

And when his lips moved, words didn't come out.

Isidor's eyes grew wide as though the aspect of death didn't faze him, his smile faded into a gasp. He tried to get up, to struggle, though it only quickened his fate to come to an end. His body began to tremble under such strains, and soon, he fell limp into the sheets, unmoving and dead, eyes open and holding that fearful expression.

This was one death that Mike barely had regrets for. As he held the cloth of the coat in his hands, he looked up to see the old crone gazing at him, expecting something. In the midst of the sullen silence, he uttered,"...what happened to him? And Fiete?"

"The girl here, Katherine, stabbed both of them! First the Marquis, then the servant when a ruckus came about. You see, that Marquis is the man who operates the Ring. No prostitute today fails to know who he is, and those who get out try to leave their past. My home here, this brothel, is a haven for those who manage to leave his maddening Underground Mall, a border on rehabilitation and boarding..." She looked sadly at the young lady who was sobbing away. "...poor thing had the cuffs still on her wrists when she escaped. Well, now that he's gone, I suppose every girl on the streets can sleep at ease."

"What are you to do with the body?" His hand clutched the coat.

"Burn it, naturally," she answered,"not that this hadn't happened before. Well, you saw your friend, now get out of here unless you want service!"

He didn't reply.

"Get out then!"

Her arms began to flail about as she shooed him away. He barely had time to fetch the keys off of Fiete's body as she jostled him.

-...-

He found himself on the front porch where Petra stood at the main road with an extra horse. Startled by her sudden appearance, he nearly dropped the jacket as she shakily told him,"Get on, we're leaving!"

"Now!?"

"Yes, now!" She urged.

She tossed him the reins to his horse. He immediately mounted and they spurred their horses around, getting into a canter. As they went through the sleepy village, he held the coat over his shoulder as he told her,"Isidor is dead."

Petra looked straight as though she ignored him, as if his news was miniscule compared as to why they were suddenly departing. It was quiet for a minute as they traveled to the other end of town where their inn was. Mike skidded his steed to a stop and immediately dismounted to address Jean as the boy held to the horses. Petra's voice came out of the darkness,"Where's Mikasa and Sasha? Christa?"

"The first two left," Jean told her as he gripped the horses tighter. "Christa's still here."

"What about Hanji?" Mike inquired.

"Inside but don't-"

He pressed on, moving passed the horses and into the inn, ignoring their protests as his hand reached the iron knob. He turned it and found the dining room to be a mess with the innkeeper nowhere in sight, much to the oddity as he entered an upturned scenery. Chairs were tossed to the side and some tables were pushed away from their original places.

An alarmingly large pool of blood coagulated before him, thoughts racing through his mind, asking himself why Jean and the others weren't inside and fretting about.

As he stepped in deeper, he called out,"Hanji?"

_What the hell..._

When no answer came, he decided to go in deeper, instincts telling him to look into the rooms.

He passed the counter where the innkeeper was sleeping behind the counter, a bottle of alcohol rolling nearby her hand. He imagined she would have a heart attack when she would find her beautiful inn a complete mess.

"Hanji?" He called yet again. His boots tapped against the floor, the floorboards creaked under his weight. His heart skipped a beat when he thought of finding her heavily injured or worse, something went wrong among the last of the Scouts; their frantic protests of him entering the inn at all could have been an indication to her fate. "Hanji?"

He passed every closed room, then found one door that was partially open. He gave a light knock.

"Hanji?" He asked for the fourth time, only this was softer than the others.

"I'm here," a dry voice came from within.

He gently pushed the door open.

Hanji was sitting on a bed parallel to Rivaille's sleeping form. Just like Isidor, her entire front was bathed in red, though her right shoulder and neck had a tear in the shirt she wore, as though it were sliced through; her bare skin was exposed to him. He went inside cautiously, then approached. "Are you alight?"

She gave a nod, then wiped her eyes, her hands covered in blood as well, leaving a splotch on her face. "I could be better," she told him, she looked at him as he took a seat beside her,"aren't you going to leave with the others?"

"Yeah but- wait, you're not going?"

"No. I...it's complicated, I ask of you to go as well if you know what's best," she advised distantly, eyes focusing back to Rivaille. "They must see me as a monster-"

His hand reached to hers, taking it to silence her. "Whatever it is, just know you can still have confidence in me."

"Petra is right though...I'm not fit to lead anyone."

He bit at his lip intensely, then sighed. "She told you then."

Uneasily, she nodded. "...she did. Mike, just leave us, we'll be fine on our own, I'll keep to the back roads and wait for Ymir at the Hermiha."

"Are you sure?" Mike slowly asked, hands reaching to his side. She looked over at him as he gave her a coin purse. "Take the last of my coin, you'll need it to treat him."

Hanji hesitantly took it. "Thank you, I'm in debt to you now."

He gave her a slight smile but it faded when his eyes drifted to the blood. What just happened to her? He wanted to ask and yet...he wanted to keep the image he had left of her, to remain the way he once knew. They were all changing, each of them, they have all been pushed to the edge. Out of all, he had seen her grow worse over the few days in the course of their run.

Mike stood up, easily towering over her. He also handed her the coat and keys that the Marquis had given him. "When Rivaille awakens, give him this."

"What is it?" She asked, taking the finery.

"The coat of the Marquis, he passed away just a few minutes ago. A prostitute stabbed him, I just arrived before he moved on." She had a tinge of happiness in her eye, though he swore it lasted for a second. "I have reason to believe that he wants Rivaille to take his place as the Marquis."

"...take his place?"

"It's only a hunch," he told her.

Her hands fiddled with the ribbons and medals, then she looked up at him. "I'll give it to him."

Mike reached out to her, his hand going to the top of her head to pat her affectionately. He wanted to embrace her so much, and he should have, yet he couldn't. A few more pats and he turned away, heading for the door. He paused a moment, stopping at the threshold so that he could say,"We'll be heading North, Petra and I...to her father. If you wish to see us again, come when you please."

He glanced over his shoulder to see Hanji staring at Rivaille, though she finally bid him farewell,"Live a good life with Petra."

"For you, I will." He didn't realize the words slipped out of him, even as he walked through the doorway and closed it behind him.

It was the last time he had seen her, bathed in blood of which he didn't know whose.

-...-

The rest had mounted their horses with Eren, Christa, and Armin armed with their Gears. He didn't ask them what their plans were, it was a silent oath between them all that their own priorities were their own, that protests would impede them. Jean was shocked to see Mike emerge from the inn unscathed, even asking questions as to what happened.

A raised hand was all he needed to be quiet. Instead, he mounted his horse and took the reins, easily taking a side with Petra.

Mike had taken note of how they were divided. The younger Scouts, save for Jean, had their own objectives. With his guess, they were probably planning to scale Wall Rose for whatever they needed to do.

Tobias and his cart were nowhere in sight, he may have left with Sasha.

Pushing the thoughts out, he spoke,"We're leaving now."

"Yes, we are," Armin declared.

He nodded. "We go North."

And so they ran off into the night, not taking a break for their horses. They covered more ground now that Tobias was gone, taking in three times distance as they wildly raced one another. They took to the main roads, passing every village and farmland on the way, making good time as a faceless moon rose above their heads. It was a silent ride, no words were passed.

They knew what Mike didn't, and he would rather learn of it later.

A few hours passed as they went on.

It was at a main crossroad that their horses had been given a chance to have a break.

"Down to the right, it'll take you to the Karanese," Petra instructed,"take care of where you go, the MP may still be around. Be wary."

"We will," Eren finally said reassuringly,"the same goes to you."

She gave a curt nod.

The boy took his horse's head and forced it to the right, his legs spurred him on. Christa and Armin followed suit; they watched the last of them vanish into the darkness.

It was the last time Jean would see of what was left of his close comrades.

"Let's go," Mike said, hand clapping on to the younger one's shoulder,"we have our own lives to attend to."

They were done with their lives as Scouts.


End file.
